personal affirmations

November 2011 1

openI am open, receptive, and available to Spirit as my life. I am always guided to give and receive the best.

let goI surrender to the grace of life. I let go and allow life to live abundantly through me and as me.

gratitudeI live my life from the vibration of gratitude. I am grateful for this breath. I am grateful for all that this day brings me. I am grateful for all the good in my life.

at peaceI affirm the life of God as my life now. Living as the life of God, all needs are met. Living as the life of God, I am at peace.

personal affirmations

sponsored byWorld Ministry of Prayer

unitedcentersforspiritualliving.org

featurescontents

6 The Spiritual Significance of 2012Ancient wisdom and new revelations tell us that we can usher in a new age of love, peace, and understanding.Mead Rose

16 Dr. Judith Orloff on Developing Emotional FreedomLearn new ways to overcome the challenges around you by opening your heart to the spiritual power within.Diane Dreher

24 Why Subtle Energies Matter in Today’s WorldDr. Bernard Williams of the energy medicine professional organization ISSSEEM discusses why subtle energies matter in today’s world.Beandrea Davis

76 Total Openness to GoodAre you really open to receive the Good that is God in your life?Margaret Stortz

82 Opening to Spirit Quiets the Mind and Opens the HeartActress Lindsay Wagner shares her experience in opening to Spirit and helping others to experience the blessing of Oneness.Norman L. Bouchard

88 Successful LivingThere is nothing that can limit us when we open to the magnificence of Spirit.Ernest Holmes

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contents

departments

contributorsRev. Norman L. Bouchard is the marketing and communications director at Mile Hi Church in Denver, Colorado, and author of 29 Questions for the Ordinary Life.

Beandrea Davis is a writer who practices Esalen massage and Reiki in Washington, DC. To learn more, visit joyfullybea.com.

Dr. Diane Dreher is the author of The Tao of Inner Peace and Your Personal Renaissance: 12 Steps to Finding Your Life’s True Calling. Visit her website at dianedreher.com.

Ernest Holmes was an internationally recognized authority on religious psychology and the founder of the Religious Science movement and Science of Mind magazine.

Mead Rose is a writer, songwriter/performer, and Internet marketer.

Rev. Dr. Margaret Stortz is a minister and practitioner living in El Cerrito, California. She can be reached for prayer and counseling at 510-524-7901 or at margaretstortz.com.

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4 EDITOR’S NOTE

14 ON THE PATH OF THE GLOBAL HEART Kathy Hearn

15 SPIRITUAL GOOD SENSE

Barry Ebert

23 LIGHT FROM THE LANGUAGE OF JESUS Rocco Errico

32 DAILY GUIDES

64 PRACTICAL PROSPERITY Kathleen Lenover

65 SCIENCE & SPIRITUALITY Waldman and Newberg

94 PHILOSOPHY IN ACTION David Alexander

95 REVEALING HEALTH James Rouse

96 LAW OF CIRCULATION Joe Hooper

102 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Jesse Jennings

104 MEDIA REVIEW

108 YOUR SPACE

110 SUCCESS AND SPIRIT Terry Cole-Whittaker

112 LAST WORD

opening to Spiriteditor’s note

4 Science of Mind

Claudia Abbott

We are, of necessity, inlets to the Divine Mind, but since we are individuals, we become outlets to the degree that we permit ourselves to become. We are surrounded by divine wisdom, love, and intelligence, and still lack divine guidance. Not that we lack the principle of divine guidance, for that is the gift of God forever delivered, but that we lack the perception of this guidance and its operation through us. Ernest Holmes

How do you remain open to the principle of divine guidance? For many, the spiritual journey is a quest for an answer to that question. We are looking for a greater awareness of our connection with God. We can never be separated from God, but when we feel a sense of separation, we can seek the peace within, the energy of Oneness.

Did you know that there are those who study this energy? The International Society of the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM) is dedicated to exploring and applying subtle energies as they relate to the experience of consciousness, healing, and human potential. In this issue, we look at their work and gain a new understanding of what science is learning—evidence of the impact of our consciousness. We also explore how opening to the energy of Oneness can allow one to develop a greater sense of emotional freedom and fulfillment.

Remember the bionic woman played by Lindsay Wagner? Wagner shares the true secret to power, connecting to the Oneness that comes from opening to Spirit. There has been a great deal of speculation about the significance of the coming year. We take a look at those concerns with the re-alization that we are called to reveal the conscious-ness of Oneness. This consciousness has the power to usher in a new age for humanity. We really are the ones we have been waiting for.

~

letters

November 2011 5

SCIENCE OF MINDA guide for spiritual living

PublisherJudy Morley, PhD, RScP

Editor in ChiefClaudia Abbott, RScP

Assistant EditorAnn Crawford, RScP

Art Directors Jessica & Christopher Loving-Campos

Publishing Business ManagerAlan Hubbard, RScP

Advertising Sales James Abbott

Web ManagementRay and Marty Bunch

Science of Mind is a registered U.S. trademark of SOMARK, Inc., and all rights are reserved.

Science of Mind® Vol. 84 No. 11Ernest Holmes, FounderEditorial Offices:573 Park Point DriveGolden, CO 80401-7042(720) 496-1370www.scienceofmind.com

For all subscription servicesplease call our subscribers’ toll-free number from the U.S. and Canada: (800) 247-6463. Outside North America, call (714) 693-1866. Or e-mail [email protected]

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SCI-ENCE OF MIND, P.O. Box 18087, Anaheim, CA 92817-8087.

Science of Mind (ISSN 0036-8458) is published monthly for $29.95 per year ($3.50 per single copy) by Science of Mind Publishing, a division of United Centers for Spiritual Living, a not-for-profit California Religious and Educational Corporation, 573 Park Point Drive, Golden, CO 80401-7042. Copyright © 2010 by United Centers for Spiritual Living. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Golden, CO, and other entry offices. Printed by Imagination Arts, Castle Rock, CO. Only accepted articles will be notified. Manuscripts will not be returned. Cover Art - Digital Vision/Thinkstock.

I want to express my sincerest thanks to Science of Mind for the wonderful article in the June 2011 issue on the inspiring life and works of Howard Thurman. I am an admirer of this man for his intellect, clarity, insight, and the beauty of his language. The opportunity to hear his wisdom in his own voice presented in the audio collection you high-lighted is a prayer answered. I trust that many of your readers will use this opportunity to read and/or hear the wisdom of this great man. Nellie DixonPlainfield, New Jersey

Thank you for all the years of inspiration and spiritual food for my soul. You have been a most cherished companion on this very sacred journey called “Life.” I believe I have been with you for over twenty years. The magazine has been a huge part of my awakening heart!Janice Devine-PattersonAtascadero, California

6 Science of Mind

spiritual awakening

November 2011 7

So why the hubbub around 2012? The answer is that a number of seemingly significant changes appear to center around that date.

• In astronomical terms, 12/21/2012 is the winter solstice occurring simultaneously with crossing over the galactic midline.

• Astrologically, we are also transitioning from the Piscean to the Aquarian Age.

• December 2012 has been put forth as the end date of the Mayan calendar and as the fulfillment date of several other indigenous prophecies.

• Terence McKenna also turned up a pattern of events when he superimposed numerical values associated with the King Wen sequence of the I Ching onto human history, which he referred to as Timewave Zero and which appears to converge on that date as well.

8 Science of Mind

There is both disagreement about and speculation beyond the basic points shown above. While the astronomical and as-trological facts remain indisput-able, the significance of them is open to interpretation. In addition, when one examines the prophecies of the Maya and other indigenous peoples, one discovers that they refer to a process and are not tied to a par-ticular date.

Regardless of debates about target dates, it seems clear that change is upon us simply as a consequence of living on a planet with a burgeoning popu-lation and dwindling resources. It is becoming clear that we need to evolve past obsolete, consumption-heavy economies and competitive social strate-gies and transition into more resource-friendly, cooperative ways of living.

One fairly consistent theme in all the talk about 2012 is the idea that we are moving into a time when all our ancient notions are challenged. To quote songwrit-er Emily Kaitz:

Uncharted waters, Empty skies,Everything you’ve learned up

to this point,No longer applies.

Long-cherished notions of “the way it is” are beginning to

come under scrutiny. These as-sumptions include

• The fundamental nature of time and space• The faith that our elected officials will be able to act in our best

interests • The belief that interces

sion between individuals and divinity is

necessary.For many, this scrutiny is

a challenge to their religious faith and points to discrepan-cies between religion and Spirit. One of the difficulties in re-sponding to questions about the spiritual significance of 2012 is that what defines Spirit is changing. In the past, the bor-derlines between Spirit, science, thought, and physical existence were quite clear, and now those separations are falling away in the light of new understandings.

One way to shed light on the whole question is to examine the ancient prophecies in the regard that Spirit is eternal and human beings are fairly constant regardless of external changes. It is noteworthy that prophesies from diverse tribes show thematic congruence, even among tribes that are highly isolated and rarely exchange information with other tribes. For example, we find that when we compare Mayan and Hopi prophecies, the underlying

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themes are similar.Scientifically recognized Mayan

calendar expert Carl Johan Calleman reveals that according to understandings gained via conversations with Mayan elders, the December 21, 2012 target date is erroneous and the Mayan calendar end date is actually October 28, 2011. Dr. Calleman elaborates on his in-terpretation of Mayan prophe-cies explaining that the “descent of the nine gods” refers not to anthropomorphic deities, but instead to levels of cosmic con-sciousness impacting humanity at specific times. He has pains-takingly documented histori-cal events correlated to previous impacts to test the validity of his interpretation. He predicted March 9, 2011 as the com-mencement date of the Ninth Wave, just two days before the Fukushima earthquake—an eerie precursor.

Dr. Calleman offers com-mentary on the coming spiritual shifts saying, “We’re going into something where there will be no middleman or middlewom-an between ourselves and God, the Divine. We will be the only authorities in regarding our re-lationship to God. That’s where it’s going. No intermediaries so to speak.” He explains that it was the “filters” upon con-sciousness that necessitated the

need for somebody to convey the experience from spiritual reality. “I believe that this wave is about developing resonance with the cosmos, and it is a large thing. In order to do so, in true resonance with the cosmos, it also means that you must do that yourself directly, without any intermediaries….It’s all about becoming a citizen of the cosmos, a child of God without any having to intervene.”

Changing Ideas and Ancient PropheciesThis idea of a transformation of consciousness is echoed in the Hopi prophecies. Author Kymberlee Ruff tells of the Hopi Prophecy Rock and whether humanity would choose to depart from the “Two-Hearted Path” leading to nuclear annihi-lation: “Up until very recently, many of the Hopi elders were not certain that we would choose the ‘Path of the One-Hearted.’ Fortunately, I have been told that in the last few years, we have turned a corner. Many holy and noble people have performed the sacred rituals and ceremonies, asking Mother Earth to give us another chance. An evolution of consciousness has occurred just in time to save our planet. I have been told to share with you that, in the last few years, we have passed over

10 Science of Mind

into ‘The Fifth World.’ With 2012 approaching, there are so many Doomsday stories circu-lating, describing an impending time of catastrophe and destruc-tion. This is why I was asked to tell the story of the ‘Two Paths of the Hopi Prophecy Rock,’ to tell you that the day after December 21, 2012, is actually going to herald a time of great peace….So as chaotic as the world may appear right now, it is an illusion. Something wonderful is happening.”

Or is it? One thing that is becoming increasingly clear is that we as human beings create our own reality. But this creation process goes far beyond the subjective limits of individ-uated consciousness. With in-dividual transformation comes the realization that all beings are in need of liberation, that to acquire and appreciate the finer things in life also means doing so without subjecting others to undue hardship.

Like it or not, the world in which we live is the product of an ongoing collaborative experiment in consciousness. While enlight-ened personages such as the Dalai Lama exemplify living the simple spiritual life, they are exiled from their homeland by governmental decisions of a totalitarian regime made to accommodate an ever-growing population.

In the midst of our search for new, cooperative solutions to problems for which we have no previous experience, the brute-force expedients learned throughout humanity’s history of war and strife contend for dominance. Based in scarcity and fear, old-paradigm you-or-me thinking tends to spread by turning otherwise enlightened minds into sharks or shark bait. Deep spiritual conviction is required to avoid falling prey to the fear-based thought patterns.

Furthermore, avoidance is not an answer. Withdrawing from the difficulties of the modern world is to withdraw one’s self as a needed community resource. Past models allowed people to entrust others to take care of difficult problems. Recent economic problems have shown us that this is not a wise strategy. All too often, turning one’s gaze away from complex problems amounts to letting the fox guard the henhouse.

A Call to CourageThe approaching changes require a new sort of moral courage. Already we are seeing the start of planetary changes from earth-quakes to solar flares to floods. People are more sensitive to corruption and misbehavior on the part of elected leaders. As spiritual beings, we must be

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willing to open our eyes and hearts to see and feel the wounds of humanity and Mother Earth to witness the extent of the healing that must take place. It is then incumbent upon us to put aside fear and hold fast to a vision of universal peace, coop-eration, and personal responsi-bility for emancipating people and the planet from the bondage prevalent in our history.

This moral courage must extend from our innermost hearts to positively impact our families, neighbors, organiza-tions, institutions, and planet. The 2012 experts and indige-nous elders indicate that each in-dividual must choose to respond to fear with love and, when others are fearful, to do what it takes to bring them into the light of love, peace, and under-standing. Doing so will eventu-ally cause us to reach a “tipping point” that will shift humanity’s matrix into the new reality so many of us desire.

One of the key abilities we all need to cultivate is the ability to meet new and sometimes bizarre information not with horror or disbelief, but instead with the recognition that as with any process of healing or growth, there may be pain and a need to let go of the past. As humanity emerges from millennia of strife, the future may occur as “being

dragged kicking and screaming into heaven.”

Perhaps some of the best spiritual advice for coping with the radical shifts around 2012 comes from mathematician and physicist Nassim Haramein. Dr. Haramein recently won an award for his paper on “The Schwarzs-child Proton,” where he demon-strated the viability of consider-ing the proton to be a quantum black hole containing the entire mass of the known universe. In one stroke, the paper solves discrepancies between Ein-stein’s Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. At first glance, this seems to carry no spiritual significance, but upon closer examination reveals that the separation between science and spirit is arbitrary. Ever since childhood, Haramein had dif-ficulty with Euclidian dimen-sional concepts and arrived at his unique theories through attempt-ing to understand the structure of the vacuum. Some label his work “sacred geometry,” and indeed he has been able to integrate the Kabalistic “Tree of Life” and “Flower of Life” into his math-ematical understanding of the geometry of space.

Spend some time in contem-plation, realizing your infinite nature, realizing your connec-tivity to the structure of space, to the vacuum as a whole,

12 Science of Mind

realizing your connectivity to all things through the inner self. All the masters who have walked the earth have encouraged us to learn to turn our senses inward, because within the atomic level, within the singularity that centers our existence, is the infinite potential of creation. This is what connects us to all things.

I believe that spending more time turning your senses inward and connecting with your fundamental nature—and then applying that to the external world in your day-to-day life—might be one of the most crucial, the most important, things you can do. When you align with your fun-damental nature, with your singularity, with the infinite potential inside yourself, you are fundamentally aligned with your dharma, your mission, your deepest possible recogni-tion of self. Such an explora-tion can lead to great things in your life.

Every atom of your body is connected to every other atom in the universe, as it exchanges energy and infor-mation with the vacuum. This infinite energy and knowledge can infuse your consciousness and change your life beginning today. Do not be apprehen-sive about the changes clus-tering around 2012, for they

will force us to make the evo-lutionary leap into a world of abundance and wonder.

It is clear we are in a time of transition. The message coming from the 2012 experts is a call to respond to the coming changes with love instead of fear. This requires the moral courage to see things as they are, to make the choice towards love and re-sponsibility, and to help others to do so for themselves.

This article is a synthesis of

material gathered from authors of Transforming Through 2012, a multimedia eBook about the coming shift. To learn more, visit transformingthrough2012.com.

June 2011 13

14 Science of Mind

Mark Vonnegut and son.

One of the many things I love about Science of Mind is its emphasis on our direct relationship with Spirit. “God is personal to all who feel [the] Indwelling Presence” is how Ernest Holmes states it. On a daily basis, and many times a day, I remind myself that I stand in and as the Divine Reality in the world, and right where I am, wherever that may be, God’s love and intelligence are there, too. I know that I can never be outside the embrace of Spirit, other than in my own mind. To walk the path of spiritual living is to feel this unalterable relationship, open to its blessings and guidance, and rest in trust that that which birthed me breathes and sustains me every moment.

I offer the following quotation particularly to those who are challenged with regard to work in the world. From Mary Baker Eddy, whom I consider our spiritual great-grandmother, it is encouragement toward confidence in every moment:

The place you seek is seeking you, the place you need is needing you. Divine Principle brings need and supply together for mutual good. God wisely, intelligently, and lovingly controls, guides, protects, prospers, and blesses this union of [Its] idea, [the human], and this joyous activity, work. All that you need to do is to see that your conscious-ness is fully prepared, enlarged, uplifted, joyous, expectant of infinite good, so that no sense of limitation may hinder the full manifestation of God’s will for [Its] idea....Who says, “I have finished my work and must find another place”? God alone directs and outlines. You do not know whether it is right to stay here or to go there except as the steps are put before you day by day....All is patience, calm obedience, because God is all-in-all, and God is everywhere....God is right where you are. Stand still and lift your vision....Realize for yourself daily, more than once, that the fields are already “white to the harvest,” that “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need”....There is no place for failure where God is, and [God] is right with you every minute. Remember, Divine Mind has infinite resources with which to bless.

on the path of the global heartwhat’s seeking you?

Kathy Hearn

Rev. Dr. Kathy Hearn is Commu-nity Spiritual Leader for the United Centers for Spiritual Living. She lives in La Jolla, California.

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It’s easy to fall prey to the habit of complaining. It doesn’t take much talent or initiative to see what someone else is doing as wrong and make a comment about it. Whether it’s our government officials or the way the world is “these days,” finding something about which to complain about is easy work.

But our children are watching and learning from us. They hear the complaints and begin to think that’s the way to approach the world. They begin to think that they should get whatever they want and then complain if they don’t get it. And we wonder why.

One of the toughest things that parents face with their children today is a sense of entitlement. We give them everything and then wonder why they don’t appreciate it. We do all we can to make life easy for them and then wonder why they don’t work harder. And when they don’t get their way, they complain, and we call them ungrateful.

The most powerful way to change this trend is to instill a sense of gratitude in our children by showing them what a grateful heart looks like. We can start our meals with, “Let’s take turns saying what we’re grateful for today.” We can end our days by saying what we appreciate and what we’re looking forward to. We can find something good about our govern-ment leaders and show them respect, whether we agree with them or not. We can start a gratitude journal where we list all the things for which we’re thankful and show our children how they can start one of their own.

We have all heard stories of the amazing feats of courage and endurance that our ancestors knew as their lot in life. They wanted a better world for their children. We don’t have to endure incredible hardships to learn to be grateful for what we have. We can just decide to be grateful for what we have. A grateful heart is an open heart, ready for all the gifts of life to be poured in.

spiritual good sensea grateful heart

Rev. Barry Ebert is a staff minister and the youth director at Mile Hi Church in Lakewood, Colorado.

Barry Ebert

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spiritual insight

Best-selling author Judith Orloff, MD, discusses new ways to overcome the challenges around us by embracing the spiritual power within us.

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“There is a spiritual meaning to everything we do,” says Dr. Judith Orloff, board-certified psychiatrist and best-selling author who combines her medical training with a deep spir-ituality. Her vision of healing as emotional freedom affirms the belief of Ernest Holmes that “freedom is the birthright of every living soul.”

Dr. Orloff’s liberating vision offers new hope to all of us dealing with the multiple challenges in our world today. “The world is in the midst of a meltdown,” she says, “overcome by fear, personal and collective. I want to help people not to lead fear-driven lives, no matter what is happening on the outside.” In her books, lectures, and workshops, she offers a powerful prescription: to help us move beyond our fears by leading spirit-driven lives, embracing the creative power within us to transform the world around us.

Based on years of clinical practice and validated by the latest scientif-ic research, Dr. Orloff’s message is timely and profoundly reassuring.

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Beneath the turbulent surface of life, she sees the infinite power of love—available to each of us, as close to us as our breath. “Intuition,” she believes, “is the direct line to spirit. Emotional freedom is about getting in touch with the creative power of the soul to deal with fear and doubt from a place of heart and loving kindness.” Right now, no matter what is happening around you, she says, you can go within, “get quiet and focus on your heart, which opens you up to Spirit, which is the essence of love.”

Dr. Orloff’s healing message has reached audiences worldwide in her presentations to medical schools, hospitals, the American Psychiatric Association, uni-versities, holistic health centers, and spiritual and community groups. Her best-selling books have been translated into twenty-four languages, from her memoir Second Sight, which tells of her own spiritual journey; to Dr. Judith Orloff’s Guide to Intuitive Healing; Positive Energy; and her newest book Emotional Freedom, the subject of a recent PBS documen-tary. She has appeared on NBC, CBS, CNN, PBS, and NPR, and her work has been featured in publications from Newsweek, O Magazine, Self, Cosmopolitan, and Science of Mind, to The Washington Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Orloff comes from a long line of healers. “There are twenty-five physicians in my family,” she says, “including my mother and father.” But she also grew up as “a little girl with heightened intuitive sen-sitivities,” gifted with strong intuition from an early age. Her parents were so upset by her predictions of sudden illnesses, deaths, and earth-quakes that they forbade her to talk about her intuition. “I grew up believing there was something wrong with me,” she says.

After years of searching and confusion, she gradually learned to accept her intuition as a gift and integrate it into her life. In her twenties, she “had a dream that told me to get an MD to have the credentials to legiti-mize intuition in medicine, so I followed the instructions in the dream to fulfill my destiny.” She graduated from USC Medical School, followed by a four-year psychiatric residency at UCLA, where she now mentors medical students spe-cializing in psychiatry.

In addition to her teaching and clinical practice, Dr. Orloff reaches out to millions of people through her books, lectures, workshops, media appearanc-es, and videos on her website, http://www.drjudithorloff.com.

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Understanding Our Emotions: The Path to Emotional FreedomTo become emotionally free, Dr. Orloff believes we must become more aware of our emotions. A mistake many of us make is equating “positive thinking” with denial, repress-ing our negative feelings. As an energy psychiatrist, Dr. Orloff says that we need to recognize our emotions—even negative emotions—as powerful pathways to spiritual growth. While traditional psychiatry sees conditions like depres-sion as illness, she sees all of our experiences “as spiritual chal-lenges to develop our souls.” As she writes in Emotional Freedom, “Seeing emotions as a training ground for the soul frames every victory over fear, anxiety, or re-sentment as a way to develop your spiritual muscles and be better able to love and cultivate goodness.”

Echoing Buddhist wisdom, she believes that our negative emotions can “trap us in cycles of suffering.” Yet, she maintains, “We’re here on earth to develop our souls, and emotions can help us do this. Every emotion we experience from depression to fear and joy is meant to help us spiritually grow.” The key is facing our feelings, not repress-ing them or mindlessly acting

them out. “If we don’t know how to transform fear, worry, or anger, then we get stuck in a cycle of suffering because these emotions then control us,” Dr. Orloff explains. “Gradually and with self-compassion, we must heroically take on the task of facing ourselves, the light and dark energy inside. This is the path of the spiritual and emotional warrior.”

She admits that negative emotions can be “intense and terrifying at times.” However, “With heart and self-love and kindness, we must learn to deal with all emotions to develop our souls and grow stronger. This is what I teach all my patients and practice myself.” On the path of emotional freedom, every day brings new lessons, new op-portunities for liberation and spiritual growth. Dr. Orloff says she re-reads Emotional Freedom “when I get stuck in fears or another emotion. I practice the principles in my own life.”

Making Strategic Choices Ernest Holmes once said, “We cannot live a choiceless life. Every day, every moment, every second, there is choice.” We are continuously creating our ex-perience. By making strategic choices, Dr. Orloff explains, we can create lives of greater emotional freedom. We can

20 Science of Mind

begin, she says, by “learning to face and heal our own negativity so we are clearer and more free ourselves.” This means tuning in to our automatic thoughts and feelings. When we hear self-critical negative chatter running through our thoughts, we can recognize this unpro-ductive pattern, say “‘thank you for sharing,’ and then switch channels to more positive affir-mations and thoughts.”

We can see our mistakes as opportunities to learn. “A mistake is only a mistake when you don’t learn from it,” Dr. Orloff writes in Emotional Freedom. She tells of a time when she was scheduled to speak in front of nine hundred people, and a friend who was supposed to be helping her suddenly dis-appeared. At the time, she felt alone and overwhelmed, but realized later that her friend is “a wonderful person who simply handled the situation in a way that upset me.” Remembering a spiritual teaching—“When someone makes a mistake, lift them up, not down”—instead of blaming her friend, she went to her with an open heart and found that she had left because she wasn’t feeling well. Both of them learned from the experi-ence. “Life gives us lessons to learn from,” says Dr. Orloff. “That’s the point. However,

if we don’t learn from them and keep repeating destructive patterns, it causes suffering.”

Dr. Orloff says we can transform dealing with stress into a spiritual exercise—“something to practice each day with love.” “Challenges will come to us,” she says. “It doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.” By tuning into our feelings, we can recognize when we’re feeling stressed; then take a deep breath. “Do not react when your buttons get pushed,” she says. “If you can’t calm yourself down, take time out until you can come from a centered place. Inwardly, ask Spirit for help to keep your cool.”

Tuning in to our emotions and taking strategic action can help us deal with negative situa-tions and people Dr. Orloff calls “emotional vampires,” those in-dividuals who drain us with their negativity, chronic complain-ing, and perpetual crises. As an emotional empath, sensitive to the energies of those around her, she is committed to helping others protect themselves from such stressful personalities. When we’re around these people, it’s important not to let ourselves get dragged down into negative reactions. She explains, “We have a higher self and a lower self. Emotional freedom means making a choice to come from

November 2011 21

your higher self. But to make this conscious choice, we must say ‘No’ to the voice of the lower self and make a conscious shift. For instance, if you encounter an emotional vampire who is in the victim mode, you might feel impatient and want to say, ‘I’m sick and tired of your com-plaining.’ But this won’t work if you want to initiate a change in behavior. The higher self will say, ‘I love you, you’re my friend but I can only listen for a few minutes unless you want to talk about solutions.’” When you find yourself around negative energy or emotional vampires, she recommends using a shielding technique. “Visualize a protective shield of Spirit’s light around your body so that toxic negativity can’t get in and drain you,” she says. In Emotional Freedom, she offers an “Emotional Vampire Survival Guide,” showing how to set clear boundaries without making excuses or feeling guilty, main-taining that “‘No’ is a complete sentence.”

Dr. Orloff says we all have intuition—a powerful personal resource when making decisions. “Intuition is the voice of Spirit that you need to get quiet to hear,” she says. It often comes through our bodies as a sensation of comfort or discomfort, and like any skill, grows stronger

through practice. To begin, she says, “Meditate and breathe for a few minutes to calm yourself down so you can hear your intuition, the still, small voice inside that will tell you the truth about things. Then inwardly ask one question, such as ‘How can I get along better with my boss?’ Then stay open to any intuitive flashes, image impressions, or knowings that come through.” Scientific research at the Uni-versity of Amsterdam has confirmed that with complex decisions, our intuition helps us make wiser choices than relying on our conscious minds alone.

No matter how busy you are, you can gain greater peace of mind with Dr. Orloff’s favorite practice. “I was asked on televi-

Dr. Judith Orloff

22 Science of Mind

sion what is the most important health practice I cannot live without,” she says. “It is the Three-Minute Heart Medita-tion, which I present in Emotional Freedom. As a psychiatrist, I am extremely busy, so I practice this meditation throughout the day to center myself and reconnect with Spirit. For three minutes only, you close your eyes, take deep breaths, begin to focus on something beautiful and loving and inwardly request to have the burden of worries and fear lifted as you connect to Spirit. This gets you out of your small self into the spacious realm of Spirit and the heart. This medi-tation is a mini spiritual tune-up that everyone with busy lives can practice.”

Dr. Orloff believes that “the purpose of our lives is to develop our souls and to spread the light of heart and Spirit far and wide.” She often uses metaphors of light to describe spiritual growth because, she says, “to me, Spirit is the most beautiful, brilliant, loving light one can access. When I tune in as an intuitive, what I see in people is light, the light of the heart and Spirit. We are all bonded together in points of spiritual light, so humankind is all one family.”

Living in the light and following our hearts, she believes, can help light the world. When we

are “in touch with Spirit on a daily basis, when we open our hearts instead of living in fear or revenge or hatred, then inner peace can develop, which can generate greater peace in the world. Can you imagine,” she asked with a smile, “if millions of people were practicing the principles of emotional freedom, what the world would be like? This is my hope for the world. Once we deal with the darkness within each one of us, we can be freer and spread more light in the world through service, loving kindness, and tolerance.”

That’s Dr. Orloff’s powerful prescription: greater emotional freedom, joy, light, and peace for ourselves and our world.

To order Emotional Freedom by Judith Orloff, visit

scienceofmind.com or call DeVorss & Company

at 800-382-6121.

November 2011 23

In Proverbs 23:1–3, we again encounter a strange passage. The King James Version reads, “When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties for they are deceitful meat.” The advice to put a knife to one’s throat if given to appetite is a strange saying.

We must understand Near Eastern expressions. The term “knife” is used allegorically to mean “poison.” When Near Easterners ate something bad or poisonous, they said, “It cuts me like a knife.” The second part of the verse refers to being aware of the danger that might come from eating the ruler’s food.

The Eastern Aramaic text reads, “When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is set before you, that you may not put poison in your mouth. And if you are a man given to excessive appetite, Be not desirous of his food; for his bread is bread of deceit” (Lamsa translation).

In following an old Near Eastern custom, doing away with one’s enemies was usually by means of poison. A person who wished to do away with an enemy gave a lavish banquet in his honor and poisoned his food or drink. Kings, princes, and rich men generally employed food tasters who tried the food first. Some men examined the food secretly before partaking of it.

Alexander the Great was poisoned at a banquet in Babylon. Muhammad was poisoned by a woman whose relatives were slain in battle against him. Hundreds of prominent men have met with such horrible deaths.

Because of poisoning men at banquets, the term “cup” had become symbolic of treachery, and guests at banquets were often fearful and hesitant to drink. In his prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus of Nazareth asked God, if possible, to let the cup pass away from him, meaning let this cup of death and betrayal pass away.

light from the language of Jesusa strange proverb

Rocco A. Errico is founder and president of the Noohra Foundation in Smyrna, Georgia.

Rocco Errico,ThD, PhD

24 Science of Mind

spiritual energy

November 2011 25

Over the past fifty years in North America and Europe, there has been a gradual but steady integration of holistic therapies into the awareness of everyday people in mainstream society. Word like chakra and chi no longer warrant confused looks, but recognition of the invisible yet palpable aspects of the human body system.

The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine, known as ISSSEEM, has helped foster this emergence, particularly within the United States’ scientific commu-nities. The organization was founded in 1989 by two biophysicists and a psychotherapist who wanted to integrate the study of subtle energies and energy medicine into their conventional research as sci-entists. For the past twenty years, the organization has published such a journal.

In June 2011, ISSSEEM held its twenty-first annual conference in Colorado, where nearly five hundred members gathered to discuss and present research on their diverse practices of working with subtle energies. These range from Reiki to biofeedback to neuroscience to acupuncture and beyond. The conference featured several interna-tionally renowned presenters including Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. Amit Goswami, Michael Bernard Beckwith, and Rickie Byars Beckwith.

Science of Mind sat down with Dr. Bernard O. Williams, an

26 Science of Mind

expert on the history of science and editor of ISSEEM’s journal Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine, to discuss the organi-zation’s mission and work, em-phasizing the importance of becoming aware of the body’s subtle energies in one’s own life.

SOM: In simple terms, would you explain why it is important for people to be aware of subtle energies?

Williams: Everyone expe-riences aches and pains. In the conventional way of thinking about it, we say, “Oh, I have a cramped muscle or that joint hurts.” That is correct, but the flesh is not just doing that, it is doing that dynamically. There are energies flowing through it. You do not need somebody else to relieve a muscle pain; you can do it yourself, by putting your hands on it. And the interest-ing thing is everybody already knows that. When you hurt yourself, what is the first thing you do? You rub it, because that helps rebalance the energy and gets the flow going through that area of the body.

If I have a broken bone or I need surgery, I am going to use allopathic medicine, because that is the direct approach to that very substantial matter; but at the same time, I am also going to have energy healers support-ing me as I go through surgery.

So it is an integrative approach. We need to be aware of the

fact that we are very energetic beings, and energy is flowing all the time. When something is not flowing well, a joint hurts, a muscle hurts. There are various ways we can support improving that, and no one way is exclusive to any of the others.

SOM: I have talked to people about my experiences as a clair-voyant, and they will joke in response, “Well what am I thinking now?” I believe one of the misconceptions about being sensitive to energy is that it is about mind reading and guessing what someone is thinking. Have you had that experience?

Williams: Yes, a response like that comes from a fairly narrow sense of one’s own being. Listen to the sentence “What am I thinking now?” It is as if they are thinking one thing. [laughs] What they are missing is how complex they themselves are. Being a clairvoyant means that you see these rich aspects of experience and then you also interpret those, just as we interpret the world that we see. We are often not really aware of the subtle energies we can perceive.

SOM: Would you say more about how you define a clair-voyant?

Williams: A clairvoyant is

November 2011 27

a person who can see subtle spiritual and energetic processes, a person who is aware of other perceptions beyond what one gets through his or her visual system. Some of those aspects flow like energies and appear like light. But a clairvoyant will also experience the meaning or the implication. It is both Spirit and energy. It is that meaning aspect that we are discussing when we talk about language. It is also about having the experi-ences of interconnectedness that we all share in this web of being.

SOM: How does a practitio-ner make sense of what he or she experiences on an energetic level?

Williams: We are talking about making meaning—interpreting our unique experiences. Many will feel an increase in warmth in the hands. I often will feel vibration or a sense of flutter-ing in the hands. I know people whose hands get cold. I know people who do not feel anything in their hands. Their work is primarily visually. They send out that loving power using what they conceive of as being their third eye. They practice with people in front of them on the table and also do long-distance work.

The experience is specific to both the particular tradition and the individual. There are many

commonalities. Many Healing Touch practitioners experi-ence flows that are very similar to Reiki. It is this sentience, this knowing that you are interacting with. That is what I mean when I use the word Spirit. It gets that subtle. The old distinction between physical and spiritual is a cultural trap, just an old habit of mind.

There are multiple species of these energies. It is not energy so much as it is flow. We use that word “energy” because it is a catchall. In the nineteenth century, we started using that word because we found that sunlight had chemical effects. Photography developed out of that awareness. We realized that we could turn chemical energy into heat. In the twentieth century, in the West we are building bridges to more subtle energies that other cultures have known about for a long time. The Vedics call it prana. The Taoists call it chi. In the more detailed schools of Taoist medicine, there are sixteen different types of chi.

SOM: It sounds like ISSSEEM is really a place where energy-workers can come together to reflect and receive affirmation.

Williams: ISSSEEM comes from all these different tradi-tions, and we find this common space. I call it the “Big Tent.”

28 Science of Mind

We are not a single professional society. The thing that we have in common is this interest in the nature of these energetic aspects of our being. Our purpose is to support the growth of this community of awareness.

At the time that ISSSEEM was conceived, it was consid-ered “out there.” To a conven-tional mind, it is still out there, but we are revealing bridges that people can walk across from wherever they are, and the fun thing is that even people with a conventional mindset—when you get them to relax and feel safe—acknowledge that they have had these experiences, but they have not known how to talk about them or with whom they could share their experi-ence.

In addition to providing opportunities for education, ISSSEEM is a place where we share with each other within the comfort, safety, and support that these things are real. It is not just a bunch of researchers; it is people living the life. ISSSEEM is really about supporting each other in discovering the larger self. It is about empowerment.

SOM: You seem to bridge con-ventional science and the work ISSSEEM is doing in your research. How does ISSSEEM’s work help validate subtle energies in the world of conventional science?

Williams: It is a gradual process. When ISSSEEM first started, our peer-reviewed journal Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine was about the only place where one could find this kind of research. Today, there is an awakening to the reality that conventional biochemi-cal medicine is not the entirety of medicine, and the public is seeking alternatives. Now one can also find research on energetic healing in publications like the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine and the Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine Journal.

My doctoral work was in the history of science, but not just Western science. I was part of the generation that realized the cultural narrowness of the European worldview was in-appropriate. We began to transcend the assertion that the only knowledge is Western knowledge. Allopathic medicine is just one lens through which you can see the world. The context in which new research is being carried out is moving forward all the time. There are a lot of exciting develop-ments. Our community is still looking at the leading edges. We continue to publish things in our journal that the alternative medicine journals are not ready to publish.

November 2011 29

SOM: How does the practice of working with subtle energies influence you in daily life, per-sonally and professionally?

Williams: When I was in college, I first became aware of the reality that yoga was more than just a posture, that it had consequences. There was this new wave of awareness of world-views and experience from both South Asia and East Asia. I became familiar with meditation at that time, but it was not until my younger brother completed his training as a medical doctor and then learned acupuncture that I had a lot of intimate expe-rience with what it means to use the energy flows within a living system to rebalance that system. That was a personal bridge for me. Then twenty years later, I became more involved pro-fessionally and academically in doing research and teaching people how an understanding of subtle energies can be used in their daily lives.

We are in the unfortu-nate situation where our in-dustrial society has dropped its awareness of these subtleties about life. European culture had such an awareness, but in the last three hundred years with indus-trialization, the focus was on the immediate, material, and physical that everybody can see. If you are a clairvoyant and can

see people’s energy, you experi-ence a different world. I have had an incredibly good time learning the many, many ways in which people have learned how to use the flows from the various tra-ditions. I have had a wonderful time meeting people who show me how they do what they do, which then really increases my abilities.

I recently gave one of my parents an energetic treatment. I do not think I would have had the confidence to do that fifteen years ago, even though I knew about it, because I had not had that direct experience.

So that is my message to the world: “Get some experience,” because that is the only thing that brings it home to you. Find some people who can show you how some of these things work and experience them. Then, all of sudden, you will have this amazing increase in your sense of who you are and what you can do.

Cynthia Hutchison has been a member of ISSSEEM since its early years and was the organiza-tion’s first Director of Research. She tells Science of Mind her personal story on the path of becoming aware of subtle energies.

I completed my first degree in nursing in 1976, and I entered mainstream healthcare at that time. I was quickly discouraged by the lack of holistic approach-es to healing and the huge emphasis on pharmacology. I started studying various mo-dalities for my own healing and personal growth. Being a mother of three daughters, I was highly motivated to raise them in a healthy way, so I learned about homeop-athy, essential oils, flower remedies, therapeutic touch, Healing Touch, Rudolph Steiner’s idea of anthropo-sophic medicine, and energy medicine in general. Having been a seeker of holistic healthcare since the 1980s, I equate my studies in integra-tive medicine with my studies and seeking in spirituality and spiritual science. For me, they are one and the same.

The founder of the Healing

30 Science of Mind

Touch program, Janet Mentgen, introduced me to ISSSEEM in the 1990s. She had participat-ed in study groups and events with [ISSSEEM co-found-er] Elmer Greene during the founding days of the or-ganization. After I became a practitioner and instruc-tor of Healing Touch in the early 1990s, I became the first Director of Research, so ISSSEEM and the people I met through ISSSEEM took on an important role in my life.

The ISSSEEM publications became an important source that I could use to validate the scientific background of energy medicine, which was extremely important as our practitioners were in-troducing Healing Touch to hospitals and health-care facil-ities, especially with so much skepticism in the earlier days. The feeling of community and the knowledge that we have a common vision and means to communicate with each other is very comfort-ing and inspiring for all of us who are striving to create positive change in health care and the many related fields

that support life and health. I meet so many “striving” human beings at ISSSEEM, striving in the sense that they are pursuing the deep and universal truths about life.

Learning and receiving touch therapies and energy medicine assist us in fully in-tegrating our spiritual essence (our Spirit Self, the part of us that is divine, eternal, and perfect) with our personal-ity (that which is strongly reflected through our chakras or energy centers) and our physicality.

While there are many paths to Truth, I personal-ly have found that giving and receiving Healing Touch (the energy medicine path to which I have been drawn), has enhanced my self-knowledge, my spiritual growth, and my ability to meet others with compassion and therapeutic presence.

To learn more, visit www.issseem.org.

November 2011 31

32 Science of Mind

You must make the effort yourself. The masters only point the way.

The Buddha

November 2011 33

daily guidesNovember 2011

Eugene D. Holden

I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to write the daily guides for this month, which has the theme of “Opening to Spirit.” Writing these guides has provided me the opportunity to surrender what I wanted to say and open to hear what Spirit wanted to express as me.

I wish to thank Dr. Carol “Libby” Adams, the founder of the In-ternational Academy of Self-Knowledge, for her presence in my life. The following guides were inspired by my working with her some time ago. Thank you, Libby.

Eugene D. Holden is a Religious Science Practitioner who works for the World Ministry of Prayer at the international headquarters for United Centers for Spiritual Living. Eugene has been involved with Religious Science for over twenty years and continues to use the teachings of Ernest Holmes to deepen his life. Eugene’s passion is prayer, which he feels is the most powerful tool of transformation on the planet.

34 Science of Mind

tuesday, november 1, 2011becoming aware

To become different from what we are, we must have some awareness of what we are.

Eric Hoffer

The one who wishes to demonstrate some particular good must become conscious of this particular good, if he wishes to experience it.

The Science of Mind, page 46

In order for us to open up to Spirit, we must first determine if we are closed. Being closed to Spirit can show up in a variety of ways. We may be working jobs we hate or, at the very least, ones that do not bring us joy. We may be in relationships we know are not working, and we either do not know how to move out of them, or are too afraid to do anything about them. So we stay in them, even though they drain us, keeping us from utilizing our divine gifts. Situations that don’t serve us sap us of energy, and we may trudge through life with no joy or passion for living.

If we are to open to Spirit, we must be willing to ask some serious questions. A few questions to ask are, Am I enjoying my life? Am I following my heart’s desire? Am I living the life I wish to live? If the answer is no, we may not be open to Spirit.

The answer to these questions may be uncomfortable. However, in order for us to open to Spirit, we must be willing to go beyond our comfort zones. Once we decide to live the life of God, our comfort zones may turn out to be prisons. It’s time to be free. It’s time to open to the Divine within in order to live a life of peace, grace, harmony, and purpose.

affirmationsI am now aware of all the good in my life. I recognize the life of God as my life.

November 2011 35

wednesday, november 2, 2011desire

Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.William Blake

The Spirit is conscious of Its own Thought, Its own Desire, Its own manifest Action; and It is conscious…of that which It manifests…. The Science of Mind, page 83

Desire is the internal source of motivation. It is the fire that encour-ages us to strive for something greater and higher than we may be experiencing in the moment. Desire, supported by a good plan and divine right action, can lead only to success.

But wait! Some teachings inform us that desire leads to suffering. By desire, however, these teachings refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality. It is this craving that causes one to suffer. Christian D. Larson, in The Pathway of Roses, says that everyone is to desire with his or her whole being. When we are clear that what we desire is good for ourselves and everyone else concerned, we can rest assured that we will not suffer. It is not the desire itself that causes suffering. It is the attachment to our desires that causes us to suffer. We must realize that the desire for a better life (including a better house, car, relationship, job), a life full of joy, peace, and love, is a desire that was placed in the heart by the Beloved Itself. Why? Because the Beloved desires to express and experience the best through and as each one of us.

What do you desire to experience today? The law of mind says that you create that on which you focus. Focus only on what you desire to experience, and remember not to be attached to the outcome.

affirmationsToday, I focus on what I want. I focus only on the best. I let go and let God be God as my life.

36 Science of Mind

thursday, november 3, 2011clarity

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

I will lift up my eyes unto God, from whom comes my perfect sight. The Science of Mind, page 231

When we see people and situations as they really are, without any false perceptions, we experience clarity. As we live life from a place of clarity, we experience a peace that comes from being guided by the still, sacred voice within.

Clarity is the first step in taking appropriate action. When we are clear about what we want, we can create a plan to manifest our desires. When we have a good plan, there is no way we can fail. Remember, whatever the desire, as long as it is for the good of all and the harm of none, it came from the Divine Mind Itself.

If we are not clear on what we want, we cannot move toward the manifestation of our desires. It is important for us to sit with our desires and gain clarity on how our desires will benefit us and others. We also do what it takes to become clear on the next move. We do not need to be clear on how the big picture will unfold, just the next appropriate step to take.

Set the intention to allow clarity into your day. Then watch how your intention guides you to your next clear step.

affirmationsI use the clear mind of God. I am clear on what to do next.

November 2011 37

friday, november 4, 2011purpose

To everything there is a season, and atime to every purpose under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

This Limitless Medium we may use for whatsoever purpose we will.The Science of Mind, page 394

Your life purpose is the answer to the questions, Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? When you know what your life purpose is, struggling seems to diminish. When you are clear on where you are going, you are provided with the resources for the fulfillment of all your desires. You see that your life purpose is in direct connec-tion with your desires.

A purpose does not have to be a large endeavor. You do not have to save the planet or end world hunger—not that there is anything wrong with doing that. The truth is that all of this can and will come about when you are clear that you are here for a purpose and then do that which moves you in the direction of that purpose. Your purpose may be as simple as bringing a smile to a person’s face. This can be done while you are employed at a grocery store bagging groceries for people. This puts you in the perfect place to live your purpose.

Take the time to create a purpose statement for yourself. Your purpose statement is a simple but positive statement that includes yourself and others. It defines why you are here. Your purpose statement informs you when you are or are not on purpose. Know that your purpose statement will change as you change. You are here on purpose, for a purpose.

affirmationsI live my purpose with ease, grace, and joy.

38 Science of Mind

saturday, november 5, 2011being committed

You must make the effort yourself. The masters only point the way.

The Buddha

We must remain faithful to this vision, for a realization of the Presence of God is the secret power of our work.


Now that you may have an idea of what your life purpose is, you can become committed to that purpose. Commitment is when you take the action to follow through on what you say you’ll do in spite of any and all obstacles. Commitment supports you in moving toward fulfilling your life’s purpose. Commitment is a powerful force of creation and achievement.

Some of you may hear this word and run for the hills. Com-mitment may feel scary. Good! This fear to commit can keep you stuck, but it can also assist you in becoming brave enough to live your purpose. Once you know what your purpose is, even if it is a small inkling, that purpose will nag at you until you have no choice but to commit to its fulfillment. As you open to Spirit in new ways, committing to your purpose causes you to take greater responsibil-ity for your life.

Committing to yourself is the most important thing you can do for your life and the world. Only commit to that which moves you toward your purpose. Commit to your divine greatness. Live the life you came to live. In all of this, be grateful for being committed to shining the presence of God in all that you do.

affirmationsToday, I am committed to living my purpose.

November 2011 39

sunday, november 6, 2011divine order

The Tao abides in non-action, yet nothing is left undone. Lao-tzu

The Infinite Thinker thinks, and whatfollows is in a sequence of law and order....The Science of Mind, page 85

Divine order is the natural flow of the Universe. In spite of some ap-pearances, divine order is always taking place. What does it take to experience this order of divinity more frequently? Simply put, we must trust that all is working naturally for the highest good all the time.

Things happen for a reason. Seeds are often carried by the wind to be planted in the perfect place for them to flourish and grow. The universe is always in order, and you have a place in that order. Trust that your commitment to your clear purpose puts you on the path of divine order. As you surrender to the natural way of Life, your life takes on a whole new vibration. It is a vibration of peace. Your body temple begins to thrive and the body of your affairs begins to expand and grow in divine order. Health issues are no longer issues. Rela-tionships are created and revived. Your life is being transformed.

Always keep the highest good for your life in your view. Always keep your purpose in your heart, taking the appropriate steps towards its fulfillment. Always watch for the divine order in your life. When you see or feel it, give thanks. The more you give thanks for it, the more it shows up as the life you want to manifest, right on time.

affirmationsI am tuned into divine order and guidance. My life is the order of God. God-as-me orders my Life.

40 Science of Mind

monday, november 7, 2011discipline

Without discipline, there is no life at all. Katharine Hepburn

And from such daily meditation, he should venture forth into a life of action, with the will to do,

the determination to be, and a joy in becoming! The Science of Mind, page 168

You may have heard the saying that the spiritual path is not for the squeamish, not for the weak at heart, or something along those lines. Well, in a way, that is true. Here, squeamish means a lack of disci-pline. In order to fulfill your desires by living your purpose, you must be committed. This takes discipline.

With all the distractions in the world, it is sometimes hard to stay focused on what you say you want, keeping you from living your dreams. But aren’t your dreams worth it?

Your life is worth taking the time to practice the disciplines of prayer and meditation. Consistent spiritual practice and spiritual living are what keep you connected to Source. People sometimes feel they do not have enough time for their spiritual practices. This thought can be changed, however, because everything ultimately comes from spiritual practices. This takes discipline, I know. But it is also taking control of your life. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says that taking the time to meditate for twenty-five minutes a day will add time and quality to one’s life.

In order for you to be a beneficial presence in the world, you must be disciplined enough to live your purpose and shine your light in the world.

affirmationsI take control of my life. I am committed to my spiritual practice.

November 2011 41

tuesday, november 8, 2011self-reliance

Let us resolve to be masters, not the victims, of our history, controlling our own destiny without giving way to blind suspicions and emotions. John F. Kennedy

The real Self is God-given and cannot be denied. The Science of Mind, page 332

In order for us to live on purpose and reveal the glory of God, we must trust in the all-good of God. The first step of spiritual mind treatment states that God is all there is. The second step states that we are one with God. This is where we are to let go. This is the step of surrender.

We are being guided to let go and trust the divine order. We are being pulled to surrender the little will to the will of God within. As we tap into this truth, we find that we rely on ourselves. We rely on that power and intelligence that governs the universe and that lives as each one of us. As we trust ourselves to let go, we begin to know that only good comes to us because only good comes from us. In other words, we are beginning to live the life of God, as God.

As we become more and more aware of living the life of God, we take responsibility for what we create by watching what we say and think. We are more aware of what brings us closer to being on purpose and what takes us away. As we grow stronger in our spiritual practices, we begin to feel that the word spoken through us is the word of God spoken as us. We become Self-reliant, relying only on the Divine.

affirmationsToday, I rely on the guidance of Spirit within me.

42 Science of Mind

wednesday, november 9, 2011deliberate focus

Keep fresh before me the moments of my high resolve. Howard Thurman

To concentrate means to bring to a center, and in Mental Science it means focusing the mental attention onsome definite and desired thought, image, idea, or thing.


We are surrounded by a universal law that knows only yes. We are in the sacred position of being able to use this power to enhance life. What a gift! Through focus, we are continuously creating the reality we experience. Simply put, we get that on which we focus. This is the meaning behind the saying “Pray believing that you have, so that you may receive.” Also, “It is done unto you as you believe.” We are to stay focused on what we want to experience. There is nothing magical or special about this once we realize that, by the law, life delivers back to us that upon which we focus.

Staying focused on what we want is no easy task. We may get dis-tracted by the events of the day. But if we can use these events as op-portunities to keep focused on the tasks at hand, we find that the ability to co-create with the Infinite becomes easier. To keep de-liberate focus is to be a deliberate creator. Because we get that on which we focus, it is imperative to keep our thoughts on what we want. This is why setting intentions is important. Intentions keep us focused.

Where is your focus? Is it on not having enough, or is it on ful-filling your purpose?

affirmationsI focus only on the good. I receive only the best.

November 2011 43

thursday, november 10, 2011right now

All you who seek the way, please, do not waste this moment now. Zen teaching

Today is the day of complete salvation, not tomorrow or the day after, but now.The Science of Mind, page 503

No matter how hard we try, we cannot breathe for a moment ago or for a moment from now. We can only take this breath right now. Even the “next” breath is breathed in the now moment. Why is this? Because now is all there is. Now is all that there will ever be. There really is no past or future; there is only what we think about the past or the future. In addition, this thinking is always done in the now.

Being present means being awake in and aware of the now. This is important to know—the now exists whether we are present or not. The only way to experience being in the now is to focus on this moment. Now we are the sons and daughters of the Most High. Now we are happy. Now is the time that we are living on purpose.

Staying focused on your purpose right now is the way in which that purpose is being lived in the moment. Being in the now allows you to truly listen and to see things as they really are. Being in the now enables you to trust divine timing and to be patient. It may take practice and patience, but it is worth it. Remember, spirituality and inner guidance are only found in the now.

affirmationsI live in the eternal now where all of my needs are met.

44 Science of Mind

friday, november 11, 2011perception

In working with this, it is vital to understand that by wanting to be fully aware,

we are in fact intending perception. Théun Mares, Toltec Nagal

Through spiritual discernment, we see that we have within usa power which is greater than anything we shall ever contact….


Perception is how we view the world. Many times, often uncon-sciously, we may perceive or discern a situation from what we have experienced in the past. This happens because our perceptions can be colored by our past experiences. The way to avoid this and see things as they really are is to stay present in the now.

The more we practice staying present to what is without making it good, bad, or otherwise, the more we begin to experience the presence of that something divine that is behind all of life. Our per-ceptions begin to change. We begin to see that every activity in life can be used to guide us to the fulfillment of the purpose we have chosen.

The Toltecs speak about having the ability to change one’s assem-blage point, or point of perception. This is important if one intends to live a life of freedom. One way to change your perception is to challenge some of the perceptions you may now have. For example, there is a widespread perception that a particular time of year, is “flu season.” Challenge that perception by choosing to perceive the power and presence of God as your life. As you do this, you will notice that the body temple takes on the vibrancy of divine health. Change your thinking, change your life. What a great idea.

affirmationsI am willing to challenge my perceptions. I see clearly.

November 2011 45

saturday, november 12, 2011 the still, sacred voice

When the five senses and the mind are stilled, and the reasoning intellect rests in silence, then begins the highest path. Katha Upanishad

Vision, intuition, and revelation proclaim themselves through man’s self-knowing mind….The Science of Mind, page 121

Let’s say you are a schoolteacher, and you want to present informa-tion to your students that will have a powerful, positive impact. You get clear on what you want to present, creating a game plan on how to go about the creation of your presentation. All of this is good and should be a part of the process.

However, there is a practice that assists exponentially in the process of creation, sometimes bringing in heretofore unfathomable aspects to the end results. This is listening to the still, sacred voice. It is here that we enter into the realm of Spirit and infinite possibil-ities. Cultivating a practice of quiet listening, or meditation, takes us out of mind chatter long enough to hear and see the guidance of the Divine.

It is this consistent practice of listening that allows you to tap into the sacred Source of all good. Whenever you have something to do and you are not sure how to proceed, take time to become still, to get quiet. While in that space, ask for clarity and guidance. Then quietly listen to what comes up. Also be aware of what the mind’s eye may see.

How will you know that it is the still, sacred voice and not your imagination? You will know by how it feels. With practice, you become aware of your inner guidance system more and more. Trust the guidance you receive. Be still and know that it is God in the midst of you.

affirmationsI am open and available to hear the guidance of Spirit within.

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sunday, november 13, 2011truth

And you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

John 8:32

We must know that Truth produces freedom because Truth is freedom.


This has often been a topic that seems difficult to speak about with any clarity. What’s true for one may not be true for another. It is important to decide what truth means for you. There is what is termed perceived truth, which comes from one’s perception, but perceptions can be based on past experiences. It was a long-held “truth” that the Earth was flat. Well, that idea was based on a few perceptions.

According to Dr. Libby Adams, founder and director of the Academy of Self-Knowledge, “Truth is Reality beyond perceptu-al experience.” As we continue the practice of sitting in the silence, or meditation, we naturally become connected to the Source of the higher self. The Divine within knows what is true because the source of truth is the Divine itself.

Because you are here on purpose for a purpose, it is crucial that you know what is true for you—not what someone else said is true for you. In order for you to be the instrument through which Spirit’s vision is to be fulfilled, it is important to ask yourself what truth means to you. Once you know the truth, will you be willing to act on it?

Opening to Spirit takes being willing to seek, find, speak, and live the truth.

affirmationsI am one with the all-good of God. This is the truth.

November 2011 47

monday, november 14, 2011the great gift

Choice: The power, opportunity, or right to choose. Webster’s II New Revised Dictionary

We cannot live a choiceless life. Every day, every moment, every second, there is choice. If it were not so, we would not be individuals. The Science of Mind, page 143

As divine human beings, we have a divine gift: the gift of choice. Choice means to select from a myriad of possibilities. It is a most wonderful gift to have. It is what makes us unique. This is a gift that should never be taken for granted.

In order for a singular purpose and a special vision to live through and as us, we must be aware of the choices we make moment by moment, day by day. Otherwise, we may find ourselves running on automatic programming. This may not be the best thing for us, since internal programming may be created from false truths born of false perceptions.

The first choice is to surrender to being on purpose. In other words, we are choosing to surrender to that still, sacred voice that keeps nudging us to something greater, something higher. This is the voice that guides us back to center.

Choice is an activity that helps bring clarity to the purpose statement you wrote a few days ago. Every action you take or are about to take gives you the opportunity to choose. Ask yourself if what you are about to do brings you closer to your purpose or takes away from your purpose. You are now at a choice point. Since you get to choose, choose love.

affirmationsI choose only the best. Today, I choose love.

48 Science of Mind

tuesday, november 15, 2011surrender trust

Surrender means to come over to the winning side. Jeryl S. Thompson

The soul must make a complete surrender of itself to the Spirit. The Science of Mind, page 405

Oh, no—not surrender! If we surrender, doesn’t that mean that we are weak? If we surrender, that must mean that we are not good enough or strong enough, right? Wrong. True surrender comes from having the courage to realize that, from a place of separa-tion, we cannot do it on our own. The time comes when we must surrender to that inner impulse that says there is a better way.

We must become willing to challenge the misperceptions of the egoic mind, causing it to surrender its small point of view so that we come into alignment with Spirit’s point of view. In this way, the greater truth is revealed. This truth is the voice of Spirit that lives within. We can trust that when we surrender to Spirit, we are guided, directed, and supported by the universal substance called God.

It takes great courage to surrender. It is an ongoing process that happens every day as the egoic mind attempts to direct life from a place of separation, fear, and doubt. In this surrender, we find joy, grace, and peace. We also find that all the things we were looking for somehow miraculously appear.

Surrender to the power that breathes your breath, and know that every good thing will be added unto you.

affirmationsI surrender to my good. I surrender to the power and the grace of God.

November 2011 49

wednesday, november 16, 2011trust

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11.3

We must trust the Invisible, for It is the sole cause of that which is visible…. The Science of Mind, page 57

Trust is another concept that can cause some of us to cringe. This is understandable, because we may have had past experiences that caused us to feel like we cannot trust anything or anyone. In a way, this is the same as feeling as if we cannot trust God. However, in order for us to experience good, we must have faith. We must trust that everything that is needed for a vision to be fulfilled is now being provided.

No matter what has happened in the past, have faith and trust that you are always guided, always directed. Increasing your ability to trust is an ongoing process. The more you trust and have faith, the more you see the results that you are intending to see. Inner peace comes from having trust that everything is happening in divine order and in divine right timing.

It is important for us to identify those things that prevent us from trusting. We are to become willing to let go of past hurts and resent-ments in order to have complete faith in the ability to create a life of peace, joy, and abundance.

It comes down to this: Do you trust yourself? Do you have faith in yourself to follow the longings of your heart? Do you trust the guidance of the still, sacred voice from within? If not, what needs to happen in order for you to trust and have faith?

affirmationsI trust that I am divinely guided. I have faith in the power of my word, which is the word of God spoken through me, as me.

50 Science of Mind

thursday, november 17, 2011willingness

Where there is a will, there is a wall. Where there is willingness, there is a way.

Michael Bernard Beckwith

It depends solely upon our belief and our acceptance, and our willingness to comply with the Law through which all good comes.


One of the dictionary definitions for the word willingness is “freedom from reluctance; readiness of the mind to do or forbear.” In other words, to be willing is to accept by choice in spite of reluctance, fear, resistance, or circumstances. In spite of what appears to be, we can be willing to do those things that bring us closer to living on purpose. This may not be as easy as it sounds. Sometimes it is just easier to go along with the crowd because that is the “normal” thing to do. However, you must become willing to do what is natural to you, not what is normal or ordinary. George E. Woodberry under-stood, “The willingness to take risks is our grasp of faith.”

You are not ordinary in any way whatsoever. You are the light of the Infinite. This is your natural state of being. Be willing to shine your light. Become willing to express your highest and best regard-less of the circumstances. In spite of what the bank account may say, be willing to live the life of light and love. In spite of what friends and family may say, be willing to be the peace and love you want to see.

The law of the universe is always affirmative. It only knows yes. If you say that you are never going to succeed, the universal law says, “You are right, you will not succeed.” If you say and feel that you will succeed, that same law says, “Yes, you will succeed.” Be willing to comply with the law through which all good comes.

affirmationsI am willing to trust the Divine within me. I am willing to live my purpose.

November 2011 51

friday, november 18, 2011power

Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.Alcoholics Anonymous (The Big Book)

The power which appears to bind us is the only power in the universe which can free us. The Science of Mind, page 37

There is only one power, one presence, one life. That is the life of God. That life is perfect, creative, abundant, radiant, and glorious. That life, that Power not only surrounds us all; it is the very core and essence of each person’s being. This one power is the creative force of the universe. It is also the power that beats in each person’s heart. With all that goes on in everyday life—work, school, children, spouses—it is very important for us to tap into that power as often as we can. As we spend time surrendering to this power, we are actually opening to Spirit.

At times, we may feel that in surrendering to this power, we are giving up personal power. Well, in a way, we are. But as scripture reminds us: I work, but it is not me that does the work. It is the presence of God within that does the work. Jesus was very clear on this point, which is why he said, “I can of mine own self do nothing.” There is only one power.

As you surrender your little self to the power that resides within, you find your life becoming enriched. As you allow yourself to live, move, and have your being in God, it is divine law that God lives, moves, and has its being in, through, and as you. This is true because there is only one life, one power.

affirmationsI tap into the power of God, as me, to lead my life today.

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saturday, november 19, 2011resist not

When you follow spiritual principles, you move with the flow. The flow is the path of non-resistance.

Dr. Libby Adams

The Law also flows through us, because It flows through everything, and since we exist, It must be in and through us.


The power of the universe flows through all of life, including each one of us and everything we do. When we resist what is, we stand in opposition to the divine flow of the universe and to God because God is the flow of the universe.

We are working with universal laws. One such law states that we manifest that on which we focus. When we experience a situation that we do not like, it is important that we not complain or gripe about what has happened. Accepting what is, is different from resisting or fighting what is. Acceptance lifts us to a higher plane, allowing us to see the solution to the problem. Nonresistance creates freedom. Acceptance places us in a vibration of peace. This makes us more available to be open to Spirit.

There is a different way of looking at this. “Resist not” also applies to not resisting your good. There are many people who resist their good. Are you one of them? How can you tell? When someone gives you a compliment, are you too quick to return the compli-ment? Does it feel uncomfortable in any way to receive the compli-ment? If so, you may be resisting your good.

Learn to accept what is. When you receive a compliment, take a few moments to really feel what has been said before returning the praise. Since what you resist persists, learn to resist nothing. Become a master at the art of acceptance.

affirmations Today, I resist nothing. Today, I accept my good.

November 2011 53

sunday, november 20, 2011acceptance

He who binds to himself a joy / Does the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the joy as it flies / Lives in Eternity’s sunrise. William Blake

The mold of acceptance is the measure of our experience.The Science of Mind, page 161

By “acceptance,” we are really speaking of non-attachment. In order for us to be the transparent instrument of God, we must learn not to be attached to the outcome of a desire.

Non-attachment is having the capability to let go. To release misperceptions, to let go of people and situations that no longer serve the highest good for us is a skill that must be cultivated. Non-attachment is letting go of the pain from the past. It is also letting go of what we may think is best.

Non-attachment does not mean that you do not care or that you are an unloving person. It is not the same as being detached. Non-attachment is a demonstration of love. It is born from a willingness to open to the flow of Spirit as It shows up as your purpose being fulfilled.

Acceptance requires that you trust your divinely inspired plan for your life. It is what is meant by letting go and letting God. Accep-tance and non-attachment can and will expand your realization of the divine power of God that flows through and as every aspect of your life.

affirmations Today, I accept the flow of life. I am not attached to the outcome.

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monday, november 21, 2011forgiveness

Hold to forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.

The Qur’an, 7:199

The mind which condemns, understands not the truth of being, and the heart which would shut the world of its bosom to one who is

mistaken, strangles its own life, closing its eyes to a greater vision. The Science of Mind, page 457

A sure way to block the flow of creativity and not be open to Spirit is not to have the willingness to forgive. Forgiveness is the key to freedom. Lack of forgiveness often locks the door to all-good. No matter how much we desire to receive all-good, no matter how committed we are to living on purpose, we cannot fully do any of this if we are not willing to forgive.

Forgiveness can be a difficult spiritual practice to cultivate. However, it is of the utmost importance. It is important to under-stand that forgiveness does not mean that we like or even agree with what happened. Forgiveness means that we accept what happened. Forgiveness is continuously letting go of past hurts and resentments. Forgiveness necessitates that we not be resistant or attached to anything. It is about trusting the Divine within to guide and direct us to the greatest-yet-to-be.

Forgiveness is a spiritual practice that will work wonders. We may find it easier to forgive others and not forgive ourselves. But since we are all one, if we cannot forgive ourselves, how is it that we can truly forgive others? Forgiving others, however, can be the first step in forgiving ourselves.

Please keep this in mind: Self-forgiveness is just as important as forgiving others. Be willing to forgive. Be willing to be free.

affirmationToday, I forgive myself and others. I am free.

November 2011 55

tuesday, november 22, 2011fearlessness

Fear: An unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by expectation or awareness of danger. Fearless: Free from fear. Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Fear, all kinds of fear, are some of the thoughts which quickly manifest in the body of man as “heart trouble.” The remedy for this is love. “Perfect Love casteth out fear….” The Science of Mind, page 238

In order for us to be open, receptive, and available to Spirit, we must become fearless. For us to trust the Divine, we must become fearless. For us to live on purpose and allow our visions to be fulfilled, we must become fearless. In order for us to let go and let God, yes, we must become fearless. Having a healthy fear is appropriate because it is part of the human internal guidance system. For example, it tells us when we should be aware of our surroundings.

We want to release the fear of lack and limitation. We want to release the fear of failure and of success. Yes, believe it or not, there are some who have a fear of success. But not you—you are fearless. You are the divine emanation of God.

It takes courage to be fearless. It takes a willingness to move in the direction of your vision. In order for you to follow your path, your purpose may cause others, friends and family, to ridicule you. That never feels good. However, what feels better—going along with the crowd, or living your purpose? The choice is always yours.

It takes courage to let go of our little thoughts and plans and follow the guidance of Spirit. We would do well to remember what is written in Isaiah: “Fear not, for I am with you.”

affirmation I live my life today without fear. I am fully supported by the Divine within and as me.

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wednesday, november 23, 2011love

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

The more I have, for both are infinite. William Shakespeare

This, then, is the teaching: Love and Law. As the love of God is perfect, so the Law of God also is perfect.


As stated in 1 Corinthians, “There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.” Let us speak about love, unconditional love. Love is the highest of all virtues and is the power of transformation. Love never ridicules, blames, or passes judgment. Love is more than a word. Love is the power of creation. Love is a verb; it is action. For example, if I say that I love someone, but my actions do not show it, I am not really loving him or her, I am just talking about loving him or her. Love is demon-strated through loving words and loving actions.

The source of love is our higher power. It is God Itself. It is each one of us. We are love incarnated here on earth. God so loved the world, that It recreated Itself as you and as me. We are here to love and be loved.

We hear much about unconditional love. However, to love someone like that takes great courage, acceptance, and commitment because, in essence, we are saying that no matter what a person does or says, we love him or her anyway, no matter what.

Do you love yourself unconditionally? Can you accept all of you just as you are? You, by the way, are already perfect. As you live your purpose, you are loving life. As you allow your vision to be fulfilled, you are demonstrating love of self and others. Be the love that you came here to be.

affirmationsI am the love of God.

November 2011 57

thursday, november 24, 2011be grateful for it all

Gratitude is the anointing of increase.Lloyd Strom

An attitude of gratitude is most salutary, and bespeaks the realization that we are now in heaven. The Science of Mind, page 497

Gratitude is a spiritual practice that allows us to be grateful for life. It is easy to be grateful when everything is going well. But what happens when things are not going the way we’d like? True gratitude means giving thanks for everything, even when we do not get what we want. It takes trust in the Divine to be grateful for everything.

Gratitude is a consistent practice that flows in the wisdom teachings of the world. Jesus was a great example of this practice. Whenever he did his healing work, he gave thanks even before the work was done.

In regard to living your purpose and being guided by your vision, it is a powerful practice to give thanks in advance for the fulfill-ment of your vision. In spite of the appearances, give thanks. When you expected something that did not materialize, trust that you are being guided to open to something greater than you have imagined and give thanks anyway. Gratitude is a creative energy that creates more for which to be grateful.

Here is a practice that you can do. Try it for the next seven days. Every morning, list five things for which you are grateful. It is important that you write them down. At night before you go to bed, write down five things for which you were grateful that happened during the day. Commit to this for one week, and your life will begin to transform.

affirmationsI am grateful for everything in my life.

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friday, november 25, 2011no matter what selflessness

You do not suffer, only the person you imagine yourself to be suffers. You cannot suffer.

Nisargadatta Maharaj

It is quite necessary, then, that the successful business man should keep his mind on thoughts of happiness,

which produce cheerfulness instead of depression. The Science of Mind, page 302

Gratitude also creates cheerfulness, which is another way of being in joy. Some people confuse joy with happiness. They are not the same. Happiness usually comes from outside influences: the car, the house, the relationships—you know what I am saying. I am sure you have heard people say that once they get that outside thing, they will be happy.

Joy is entirely different. Joy comes from within. Joy comes from trusting that we are always taken care of, trusting that all needs are met, now. As we practice gratitude for all needs met, in spite of the appearances, we cultivate a deeper sense of joy. Because joy does not come from outside, nothing can take it away—well, unless we allow it, which, of course, is a choice. When we choose joy, we find ourselves being cheerful, no matter what.

As you surrender to your good, living your purpose, and being grateful, you consciously live, move, and have your being in God. You also realize that you not only live the life of God, you are the life of God. As the life of God, you begin to overcome the world of effects so that, no matter what happens, you know that you are guided and directed by the Source of life. In this knowing, you ex-perience heaven on earth. And so it is.

affirmationI am the joy of God—no matter what.

November 2011 59

saturday, november 26, 2011selflessness

A person starts to live when he can live outside himself. Albert Einstein

When a man’s thought rests entirely upon himself, he becomes abnormal and unhappy; but when he gives himself with enthusiasm to any legitimate purpose, losing himself in the thing which he is doing, he becomes normal and happy. The Science of Mind, page 440

No doubt—the theme throughout these guides is surrender. Opening to Spirit is all about surrendering to the all-good of God. In order to surrender, we must be selfless. In order to be selfless, we must surrender.

Selflessness is the opposite of selfishness. Being selfish creates sep-aration. We become separated from friends, family, and all-good. However, to be selfless requires us to consciously think, feel, and act from that inner power that is the source of life.

To be selfless is to be connected to that power and presence that creates and sustains the universe. Being selfless allows life to flow to you and through you with effortless ease and grace. Living a selfless life is living the life of God—truly letting go and letting God live Its life as your life.

You are not living solely for yourself, but you are allowing yourself to be the space where the purpose and vision of your life touches the lives of others, living a life of selflessness. We are fortunate to have many examples of selflessness from which to pull—Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Religious Science ministers and practitioners, just to name a few.

There is no difference between you and the people listed. You, too, can dedicate your life to your purpose. Let go and allow yourself to be selfless. Let go to your anointed life. Living the selfless life is living the creative and abundant life of God.

affirmationI am open to serve others and myself. I am selfless.

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sunday, november 27, 2011unassuming nature

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.

Rick Warren

Pure religion manifests itself through acts of kindness and mercy. It is not arrogant—claiming a front seat in

heaven—but is humble before the great Whole. The Science of Mind, page 499

Being the light and divine instrument of Spirit can be an interesting place to occupy. Once we surrender to living on purpose, all sorts of good starts to happen. We not only begin to attract the highest good, we may even start to attract attention from people around us. The ego can have a field day with this if we are not watchful. We can begin to think that we are the ones doing the work. This is when we are to practice humility.

Being humble is not the same as being wimpy. On the contrary, it takes courage and emotional fortitude to practice humility. It is defi-nitely an act of surrender. Humility is the surrender of self-importance and arrogance. Jesus is a great example of this. As a great healer and teacher, he always made sure to say that it was God’s power within him that did the work.

This is the attitude that you are to take as well. You of your own self can do nothing. It is the presence of God within that does all the work. Think about this. There must be a presence within that sees to the beating of your heart. This presence is what breathes you. You have nothing to do with it at all. This is love in action.

To be humble is to surrender to the one life of God that is the life of each one of us. In this surrender to the all-good, we live a mag-nificent life.

affirmationToday, I surrender my will to the will of God-as-me.

November 2011 61

monday, november 28, 2011the experience of freedom

All actions and duties performed with love become means in the path of liberation. Swami Rama

I am freed from the belief in anything unlike Perfection. The Science of Mind, page 244

What an amazing time we are having, opening to Spirit. Becoming aware that we may have been closed to Spirit may have been quite a revelation for some. However, becoming aware has allowed us to tap into the desire to be open to the Divine.

Listening to the still, sacred voice of God within has brought us closer to sensing what being on purpose looks and feels like. As we set the intention to commit to this purpose, we began to see that we could choose thoughts and actions that either bring us closer to living on purpose or move us away.

We see that surrender is the most important aspect of opening to Spirit, because in doing so, we become free. It has been said that the highest of healings is to attain freedom from all miseries. A selfless man or woman of God can heal anyone.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the French writer, once said, “I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.” This is what Ernest Holmes taught—that we are surrounded by a divine, creative Intelligence that we can use. Everyone is free to use this Intelligence for personal good and the good of others.

Opening to Spirit provides the freedom to live a life of grace, abundance, joy, and love. You are so blessed. Please know that it is done to you as you believe, and you are free to choose to believe that your life is magnificent.

affirmationI am free to live an abundant life now.

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tuesday, november 29, 2011celebrate

He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back.

Henry Matisse

I know and feel my freedom. In this freedom, I rejoice. The Science of Mind, page 259

Every day, make it a point to celebrate your successes, no matter how small they are. When you do this, you tell Universal Presence that you are in tune and in alignment with the flow of life.

Celebrating and rejoicing your daily accomplishments is gratitude in action. Remember how it feels to celebrate something. There is a sense of joy and laughter all around you that comes from within. This vibration of joy is very attractive. This vibration attracts more good to you, attracting to you all that is needed for the fulfillment of your purpose.

As you rejoice and celebrate your life, you show that you are open and receptive to all of Spirit’s good for your life. You are open to being the brilliant emanation of God, shining your light without regret. There’s no need to apologize for being the open and receptive instrument of God.

As you celebrate your life, you show others how to celebrate their lives, too. You become infectious, in a good way. People cannot help but to feel good around you because the joy within you touches the joy within them.

This is all a part of being open to Spirit. This is what happens when you choose to live your purpose on purpose. Oprah Winfrey once said, “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”

Life is good. Celebrate it daily.

affirmationI rejoice and celebrate my life. My life is good.

November 2011 63

wednesday, november 30, 2011anchored in prayer

All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired. Martin Luther

Prayer should be direct and specific, and should always be accompanied by a positive receptivity. The Science of Mind, page 435

No matter what goes on in the affairs of daily life, prayer is the practice we use to ensure that we live in peace, grace, and joy. As Dr. Holmes says in The Science of Mind, “Prayer is its own answer.”

When we are not clear, we pray to experience clarity. When we allow fear to rise up in our thoughts, we pray for courage. Because prayer is its own answer, we can rest in the knowing that the word we speak, with confidence and conviction, must be done. This is also what Jesus meant when he told us to pray believing so that we may receive. Prayer is not about getting God to do anything for us; prayer is about aligning ourselves with the will of the Divine-as-us.

Your desires and God’s will for your life are the same thing. God desires to express fully and abundantly as you. Prayer allows you to surrender to the perfect and divine flow of life. No matter what your purpose or vision is, anchor it all in prayer. Prayer is the most powerful tool you have to use for your good and the good of others.

Because you are surrounded by a creative Intelligence that responds to you affirmatively, you should be definite about what you desire to experience in your daily life. Make prayer a consistent practice; it works. Live as if your life is answered prayer—because it is.

affirmationI know that all my prayers are fulfilled now.

64 Science of Mind

A cell phone runs all day, communicating with the world and providing networking opportunities while depending on incredible cutting-edge systems outside itself to function. Throughout the day, the battery exhausts itself and needs to go to a source for recharging. By plugging in the phone and leaving it alone, the electric current restores vitality for all of its fabulous functions. Additional functions of a well-charged phone include accessing many apps.

Consider your similarity to a cell phone. I recharge my circuits by making contact with Spirit. The fundamental tools of New Thought are the most empowering apps that I use to process financial decisions. What’s in the highest interest for my daughter’s graduate studies? Do I mortgage my own retirement funds or allow her the experience of debt accumulation? What’s the best method for helping those ravaged by natural disasters? What choices do I need to make for my health-care coverage?

Does it feel to you like we’re moving at breakneck speed? With life so accelerated, it’s easy to feel out of control. I find that opening to Spirit as a daily spiritual practice reenergizes and focuses me on what’s important, allowing a flood of creative insights. This deluge of ideas is one way I experience how Spirit loves me as I plug in to Source.

In the stillness of accessing Spirit, the insights come as I ask the question, What must I embrace to allow the immense flow of good in my life? I write the responses as a powerful way to capture these in-credible insights. Then I ask, What do I need to release in order to allow the flow of my good?

My precious cell phone, like my life, is phenomenal. To maintain maximum capacity, I am reenergized by plugging in to Source and enjoying the quiet time to be replenished and recharged.

Next time you plug in your phone, allow it to trigger an affirmation. Mine is, I love connecting to Spirit. Spirit fills and energizes me now.

practical prosperityam I my cell phone?

Kathleen Lenover

Kathleen Lenover is a Certified Financial Planner and Religious Science Practitioner in Denver, Colorado.

Securities offered through National Planning Corporation (NPC), Member FINRA/SIPC.

®

Mark Waldman

Waldman (Loyola Marymount University) and Newberg (Jefferson University Hospital) are world-renowned for their neurosci-entific research on spiritual practices and the authors of How God Changes Your Brain.

Research demonstrates that many parts of the brain respond to our fantasies and fears as though they were objectively real. Take money, for example. If you imagine you are rich, you’ll feel safe and protected, even if you are poor. But if you believe that you may be in financial trouble in the future, your amygdala will release a cascade of stress neurochemicals that can damage your heart and brain—even if you are a billionaire! Imaginary fears may occasionally motivate you to make money, but they can also stop your brain from taking any action at all.

A realistic assessment of your fantasies and fears helps maintain a healthy brain, but don’t give up your dreams of future happiness and success. These, too, are essential for neurological health. For example, meditating on prosperity makes you feel good because it stimulates the reward centers of your brain. But it’s not enough to propel your brain to take action. To do this, you’ll need to add several “ingre-dients” to generate a winning formula for success.

First, create a prosperity plan: Enter a deep con-templative state and invite your subconscious to select a goal that you genuinely desire. Next, write down three initial steps that will bring you closer to your goal. Circle the one that you can do today; then meditate on this plan, knowing that it will stimulate the motivational circuits in your brain. Decide when to do it, and mark the time in your ap-pointment book. At the end of the day, write down your progress, large or small, and savor the feeling of success. The neurochemicals that will be released will deepen the quality of your sleep.

In the morning, meditate on the next step that will bring you closer to your goal, repeating the steps above. You’ll quickly retrain your brain, transform-ing the “labor” of success into a pleasurably spiritual pursuit.

science and spiritualityturn prosperity fantasies into reality

Andrew New-berg, MD

November 2011 65

66 Science of Mind

spiritual communities spiritual communities

Science of Mind principles are perpetuated in this magazine, in the following Science of Mind offices, and in the member churches and study groups of the United Centers for Spiri-tual Living (Ernest Holmes, Founder). For additional information on Science of Mind, write or call the international headquarters. To learn more about our spiritual communities and to find a Religious Science practitioner,

visit UnitedCentersforSpiritualLiving.org.For additional reading in Science of Mind

and Religious Science, we recommend Cre-ative Thought magazine. For information about this publication, you may call or write: International Centers for Spiritual Living, P.O. Box 2152, Spokane, WA 99210. (509) 624-7000.

international headquarters573 Park Point DriveGolden, Colorado 80401-7042(720) 496-1370UnitedCentersforSpiritualLiving.org

managementDevelopment/FoundationSteve Burton

Education/Holmes InstituteRev. Dr. Lynn Connolly

Publishing Claudia Abbott, RScP

Growth, Expansion and Ministerial SupportRev. Mark Gilbert

websitesScience of Mind Online!ScienceOfMind.comScience of Mind FoundationSomFoundation.orgScience of Mind Shopping MallSomMall.comcore councilCommunity Spiritual LeaderRev. Dr. Kathy Hearn

ChairRev. Dr. Michelle Medrano

Vice ChairKaren Fry, RScP

SecretaryCarina Vasicek

TreasurerDr. John Waterhouse

Ross MiesemDr. Kenneth Kasner, RScP

Communications LeaderJudy Morley, PhD, RScP

Ecclesiastical LeaderRev. Gregory Toole

Operations LeaderSteve Burton

Vision Core CoordinatorRai Jordan, RScP

practitionersReligious Science practitioners provide personal spiritual guidance and prayer. To find a practitioner, go to UnitedCentersforSpiri-tualLiving.org, click on “Find a Practitioner,” or contact one of the churches in the directory.

Certificated Classes online: Foundations of Science of Mind through Professional Practitioner Studies including new Foun-dations classes for youth ages 16-21 and Foundations in Spanish. www.religiousscience.org/onlineclasses. Rev. Dr. Christina Tillotson, UCSL Distance Education Dean, (760) 944-9226, [email protected].

November 2011 67


* indicates Pre-Church StatusU.S.A.AlabamaBirmingham - Birmingham Center for Spiritual Living –

Rev. Sue Webb, Spiritual Leader – 2908 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-688-3293 www.birminghamcenterforspiritualliving.org

Birmingham - Center for Spiritual Living Birmingham Metro – Cindy Shellum Min., - 230 Linwood Road, Sterrett, 35147. - [email protected]

Dothan - CSL Dothan - Glenda Davis, Min.- 942 S. Oates St., 36301. 334-693-2688-www.rsdothan.org

North Shelby County - Oak Mountain Study Group Rev. Cynthia Shellum, Dir. – [email protected]

AlaskaAnchorage - Center for Spiritual Living—Marquita

Pierre, Sr. Min.—929 E. 81st Ave., Suite 105, 99518. 907-522-0940—www.alaskasom.org

Anchorage - Study Group-Patricia Norment, Dir.-1540 Cedrus Ct., Anchorage, 99507. [email protected]

Kodiak – Kodiak Study Group – Matthew Martens Dir 1518 Mission Road, Kodiak, AK 99615 – 907-942-7401 [email protected]

ArizonaAvondale - Study Group-Rev. Larry Pesta, Dir.-

623-826-3056 Flagstaff-Study Group - Steve Higgins, RScP, Dir.

Flagstaff, AZ – 928-606-5237 [email protected]

Lake Havasu - Lake Havasu Center of Religious Science-2041 Swanson Ave. #1, 86405. [email protected]

Peoria - Spiritual Enrichment Center-Ron Fox, Min.-9745 W. Peoria, 85345. 623-972-3205www.spiritualenrichmentcenter.us

Phoenix - New Vision Center for Spiritual Living -Dr. Michelle Medrano, Min., 18010 North Tatum Blvd, 85032. 602-787-8888-www.newvisionaz.org

Prescott - Center for Spiritual Living Prescott - Rev. Kathleen Sibley, 3755 Willow Creek Rd., 86301. 928-778-1602-www.cslprescott.org

Rimrock/Sedona/Verde Valley - Study Group-Jalene Greer, Dir.-928-301-4939

Sedona/Verde Valley - Sedona Church of Religious Science -- Stanley Otterstrom, Min. – Sunday Service at Sedona Creative Life Center 333 Schnebly Hill Rd., 86336 – 928-282-1446 -- www.SedonaCRS.org.

Tucson - Center for Spiritual Living Tucson-Donald Graves, Min.-3895 N. Alvernon Way, 85718. 520-319-1042-www.TucsonCSL.org

Yuma - Yuma Center for Spiritual Living - Merilyn Chilleen, Min.-781 2nd Ave., 85364. 928-782-7885 www.yumacsl.com

ArkansasSpringdale - Center for Spiritual Living Northwest

Arkansas Teaching Chapter – Kimberly Toller, RScP Dir. - 479-439-0149 - [email protected]

CaliforniaAlameda/Oakland - Higher Vision Center Teaching

Chapter - Rai Jordan, RScP, Spiritual Director - 2601C Blanding Avenue, Suite 308 94501. 510-682-1076 www.highervisioncenter.org

Apple Valley - Hi-Desert Center for Spiritual Living-18575 Corwin Rd., 92307. 760 -242-2302-www.hdcors.org

Auburn - Foothill Center for Spiritual Living-Maggie Buck,

Min.-DeWitt Center, 2945 First St., 95603. 530-823-6986-www.FCSLiving.org

Bakersfield - Center for Spiritual Living-222 Eureka St., 93305. 661-323-3109

Beaumont - Beaumont Center for Spiritual Living-Carrie Masters, Sr. Min.- 802 Maple Ave., 92223. 951-845-6328-www.beaumontcsl.org

Bishop - Freda Lindsay, Min.-129 E. Line St., 93514. 760-873-4195

Burbank -Toluca Lake- Spirit Works-Dr. Harry Morgan Moses Min.- 260 North Pass Avenue, Burbank, 91505. 818-848-4158-www.spiritworkscenter.com

Camarillo - Camarillo Center for Spiritual Living - Rev. Grace Lovejoy, Sr. Min.-340 Mobil Ave., 93010. 805-484-1137 - www.cslcamarillo.org

Claremont - Claremont Center for Spiritual Living-Patt Perkins, Min.-509 S. College Ave., 91711. 909-624-3549-www.claremontcrs.org

Corte Madera - Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living-Karyl Huntley, Sr. Min.-Corte Madera Recreation Center, 498 Tamalpias Dr., 94925. 415-721-2492-www.ggcsl.org

Covina - Sanctuary for Spiritual Living-Kristina M. Collins, Min.-5446 N. Citrus Ave., 91722. 626-332-6838-www.somchurch.org

Davis - Center for Spiritual Living- Congregation Bet Haverim Sanctuary, 1715 Anderson Rd., 95616. 530-297-0509 – www.csldavis.org

Del Mar - See Encinitas listing.Downey - Downey Church for Spiritual Living-George

Hines, Min.- 10000 Paramount Blvd., 90240. 562-928-6469-downeychurchforspiritualliving.org

Encinitas - Seaside Center for Spiritual Living-Christian Sorensen, Spiritual Leader-1613 Lake Drive, 92024. 760-753-5786-www.seasidechurch.org

Encinitas - Teaching Chapter-The Heart of Teaching-Rev. Alice Bandy, Dir.-4244 Manchester Ave, 92024-www.theheartofteaching.com

Escondido - Creative Center for Spiritual Living – Audrey & Les Turner, Co-Mins. – 1330 East Valley Parkway, Suite G, 92027. 760-741-0853 www.escondidocenter.com

Eureka - Eureka Center for Spiritual Living-Wayna Scovell, Min-Odd Fellows Hall, 239 Buhne Ave., 95502. 707-443-5743-csl-eureka.org

Fairfield/Suisun City - Joan McKenna, Min.-Fairfield Senior Center, 1200 Civic Center 94533. [email protected]

Fallbrook - Hilltop Center for Spiritual Living-Rev. Guy Williams, Min.- 331 E. Elder St., 92028. 760-723-8291-thehilltopcenter.org

Fontana - Wanda Haynes, Min.-16650 Arrow Blvd., 92335. 909-355-0683

Fresno-Center for Spiritual Living Fresno - Rev. Michael Torphy, Minister-723 W. Clinton Ave., 93705. 559- 485-2676-http//cslfresno.org

Gualala - Gualala Light of the Coast-Rev. Alyce Soden, Min.- 33801 S. Hwy. 1, 95445. 707-884-3631-soden@ mcn.org

Hemet - Hemet Center for Spiritual Living-Rev. Dianne Nockey, Sr. Min.- 40450 Stetson Ave., 92544. 951-658-5157- www.hemetcsl.org

Huntington Beach - Sangha Center for Spiritual Living-Rev. David Phears, Senior Min.-7641 Talbert Ave., 92648. 714-596-0900-www.hbcrschurch.org

Jackson - Study Group-Shawn Combs, Dir.-Paperbacks Plus, Mother Lode Plaza, 95642. 209-223-1186

La Crescenta - Center for Spiritual Living - Beverly Craig, Min. – 4845 Dunsmore Ave., 91214. 818-249-1045 – www.lacrescentacsl.org

La Jolla – El Centro del Corazon Global Teaching Chapter

68 Science of Mind

spiritual communities spiritual communitiesJanice Deaton RScP, Dir. – 619-922-1107 [email protected]

*La Mesa – Om Spiritual Center – Suzette Wehunt, Min. –7484 University Ave #210 – 91942. – 858-213-7061 www.omspiritualcenter.org

Laguna Hills - Center for Spiritual Living Laguna Woods-Linda McNamar, Min.- Laguna Woods Village Clubhouse 3, Dining Rm. 1., 92637. 877-633-1583 – www.centerforspiritualliving-lagunawoods.com

Lancaster--Center for Spiritual Living - Antelope Valley--Rev. Hilde Brooks, Sr. Min.--1030 W. Ave L-8, 93534. 661-948-0873-www.avcenteroflight.org

*Long Beach - Center for Inspirational Living - Patricia King, Min. – Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 Anaheim Rd., 90804. Mail P.O. Box 334, Seal Beach, 90740 - 562-243-4880 – www.inspirationalliving.us

Los Angeles - Founder’s Center for Positive Spirituality-Dr. Arthur Chang, Sr. Min. - 3281 West Sixth St., 90020. 213-388-9733-www.founderschurch.org

Los Angeles - Guidance Church-Rev. Reginald “Nirvana” Gayle, Sr. Min.-7225 Crenshaw Blvd., 90043. 323-778-0773-guidancechurch.org

Los Angeles - Triangular Church-Gregory Pitts, Sr. Min-1938 S. Western Avenue, 90018. 323-731-1194 or 323-294-3974-tcofrs@sbc global.net

McKinleyville - McKinleyville Science of Mind Study GroupCatherine LaFleur, RScP – Dir – [email protected]

Menifee Valley - see Sun CityMerced - Study Group/Center-Judith Hartman, Dir.-166

East Donna Dr.-209-383-5385 or 209-726-3365– [email protected]

Mission Viejo - Center for Spiritual Living, Orange County-Sandy Moore-25782 Obrero Dr., Unit D, 92691. 949-481-4040-www.csloc.org

Mountain View/Los Altos - Conscious Living Center-JaneBeach, Sr. Min.-2400 Wyandotte St. Ste. C, 94043. 650-965-1152-www.ConsciousLivingCenter.org

Napa - Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living-Janet Garvey-Stangvik, Min.- 1249 Coombs St., 94559-www.nvcsl.com

North Hollywood/Van Nuys - North Hollywood Church of Religious Science-Mark Vierra, Sr. Min.-6161 Whitsett Ave., 91606. 818-762-7566-www.nhcrs.org

Oakland - East Bay Church of Religious Science-Elouise Oliver, Sr. Min.- 4130 Telegraph Ave.,94609-510-420-1003-www.ebcrs.org

Oakland - Higher Vision Center for Conscious Living Teaching Chapter – Rai Jordon, RScP, Dir. – 510-682-1076 – [email protected]

Oakland - Oakland Center for Spiritual Living-Joan Steadman, Spiritual Leader-5000 Clarewood Dr., 94618. 510-547-1979-www.oaklandcsl.org

Palm Springs - Center for Spiritual Living Palm Springs-Michael J. Kearney, Sr. Minister-2100 E. Racquet Club Rd., 92262. 760-323-5447-www.centerforspiritualliving-palmsprings.org

Pasadena - Ahiah Center for Spiritual Awakening-Charles Rose, Min.- 277 N. El Molino, 91101. 626-795-4216-www.ahiah.com

Petaluma - Community for Spiritual Living Petaluma-Josephine Smith, Min.-Petaluma Golf & Country Club, 1500 Country Club Dr. & 1180 Stage Gulch Rd., 94954. 707-762-8509-www.cslpetaluma.org

Placerville - Mountainside Spiritual Center-Rev. Robin A. Davidson, Sr. Min.-Town Hall, 549 Main St., 95667. 530-672-3119-www.mountainsidecsl.com

Prunedale/Salinas - Teaching Chapter-Rev.Kathleen Nicholls, Dir.-Prunedale Grange Hall, 17890 Moro Rd., 93907. 831-663-9228-www.heart2heartcenter.com

Quincy - Center for Spiritual Living, Quincy Teaching Chapter-Hannah Rothlin, Min.- Quincy Grange Hall, 55 W. Main [email protected]

Rancho Bernardo - Light of Life-Rev. Irma Forward, Sr. Min-12540 Oaks North Dr., Ste.B3. 858-485-8119-www.lightoflifechurch.org

Redondo Beach - Study Group-Tina Fox, Dir.-310-374-8001 –[email protected]

Riverside - The Riverside Community Center for Spiritual Living-Rev. Lee McNeil Nash, Min.-3891 Ridge Rd., 92501. 951-683-2343

Riverside - Vision Center of Religious Science – Jacki Smith, Min. - Evergreen Masonic Center, 5801 Chicago, 92501. 951-276-2291 - www.visions-center.com

Sacramento - Center for Spiritual Awareness-Georgia Prescott, Min.- 1275 Starboard Dr., W. Sacramento, 95691. 916-374-9177-www.csasacramento.org

San Diego - San Diego Center for Spiritual Living-John Poleski, Sr. Minister-1441 Sixth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101. 619-491-3087 - www.sdcsl.org

San Diego - Universal Spirit Center, A Global Heart Community-J. Kevin Bucy, Sr. Min.-3858 Front St. (at University Ave.), 92103. 619-291-4728. www.UniversalSpiritCenter.org

*San Diego - Shiloh Spiritual Center-Dr. Roxie Hart, Min.-3288 El Cajon Blvd., Ste.#9, 92104. 619-640-2020-www.shilohspiritualcenter.com

San Diego - VISION-Center for Spiritual Living-Patti Paris, Min.-11260 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, 92124. 619-303-6609 ext. 307-www.visioncsl.com

San Diego - Starlight Training Teaching Chapter-Sheila Coulbourn, RScP, Dir.- [email protected]

San Diego - Open at the Top Teaching Chapter-Jim Turnage, Dir.-7625 Mesa College Dr., Ste. 101, 92111. [email protected]

San Fernando - Alma Gonzales Robbins, Min.- (English & Spanish) 820 San Fernando Rd., 2nd Fl.-323-702-9081-Lightoftruthreligiouscience@ hotmail.com

San Francisco - San Francisco Center for Spiritual Living-Muata Rasuli, Spiritual Director-278-280 Claremont Blvd., 94127. 415-731-3887-www.sfcsl.org

San Francisco - San Francisco Spiritual Enrichment Center-Jo Anne Lanning - 2118 Hayes St., 94117. 415-831-9437-www.sfGlobalHeart.com

San Jose - Center for Spiritual Living - David Bruner, DD, Min.- 1195 Clark St., 95125. 408-294-1828 www.cslsj.org

San Jose - Illuminata Spiritual Center-Carolyn Jolly Douglas, Sr. Min.-Beverly Heritage Hotel, 1820 Barber Lane, Milipitas- 95035. 510-230-4364

Santa Ana - Center for Spiritual Living,Golden Circle –Rev. Marni Martin, Min. - 600 Golden Circle Dr., 92705. 714-541-3365 - www.goldencirclechurch.com

Santa Barbara - Center of the Heart- Rev. Maryum Morse, 487 N. Turnpike Rd.,93111. 805-964-4861-www.centeroftheheart.com

Santa Clarita - Center for Spiritual Living Santa Clarita-Rev. Dr. Tina Fox-Old West Masonic Lodge at Friendly Valley, 19310 W. Ave of the Oaks, Newhall, 91321. 661-298-9411- www.sccenterspiritualliving.com

Santa Cruz - Center for Conscious Living-Angela Geary, Sr. Minister-1818 Felt St., 95062. 831-462-9383-www.cclsantacruz.com

Santa Rosa - Center for Spiritual Living-Edward Viljoen, Sr. Minister-2075 Occidental Rd., 95401. 707-546-4543-www.cslsr.org

Seal Beach - Namaste Center for Spiritual Living - Kristin Hawkins, Min.- 610 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 100, 90740. 562-980-7610 - www.NamasteCSL.org

November 2011 69

spiritual communities spiritual communities Seal Beach - Seal Beach Center for Spiritual Living

Rev. Joshua Reeves, Min. – 500 Marina Dr. , 90740 562-598-3325 – www.sealbeach.csl.org

Sun City/Menifee Valley - Frank Maitoza, Community Spiritual Leader-26805 Murrieta Rd., 92585. 951-679-6622-cslmenifeevalley.com

Templeton - Central Coast Church of Religious Science- Revs. Don and LaVonne Welsh Co-Directors.-689 Crocker St., 93465. 805-434-9447- [email protected]

Tri-Cities - Teaching Chapter-Rev. Kathleen Geier, Dir.- 510-489-3860 day or 510-461-0397-RevKathleen@ godatPLAY.org

Union City - God at Play Teaching Chapter – Kathleen Geier, Min. – 1684 DeCoto Road – 94587 – 510-489-3860 - [email protected]

Vallejo - First Church of Religious Science-223 Springs Rd., 94590. [email protected]

Ventura - Ventura Center for Spiritual Living - Bonnie Rose, Min. - 101 S. Laurel, 93001. 805-643-1933 – www.venturacsl.org

Whittier - Harmony Center for Spiritual Living-Shawn Kindorf, Sr. Min.- 12907 E. Bailey, 90601. 562-698-0341-www.harmonycsl.com

Yreka - Study Group-Marilyn Letsos, RScP, Dir.- 530-841-0510

Yucca Valley - Yucca Valley Center for Spiritual Living Ron Scott, Min – 7434 Bannock Trail, 92284, 760-365-2205 or 365-4776

ColoradoAurora - New Dawn Center for Spiritual Living-Karen

Paschal, Sr. Min.-1680 South Chambers Rd., 80017. 303-369-8222-www.scienceofmind.org

*Boulder - Boulder Center for Spiritual Living-Jill Iris, Min.- 303-444-1251-www.bouldercsl.org

Boulder/Lafayette - Center for Spiritual Living, Boulder Valley--Alexandra Potash, Min.--107 E. Geneseo St., Lafayette, 80026. 303-664-5603-www.cslbouldervalley.org

Castle Rock - Center for Spiritual Living-Marilyn Lewis, Min.-Castle Rock Recreation Center, 2301 Woodlands Blvd., 80104. 720-851-0265-www.ourcenterforspiritualliving.org

Colorado Springs - Center for Spiritual Living-Jody Stevenson, Min.- 3685 Jeannine Dr.,80917. 719-596-6894-www.cslcs.org

Cortez - Study Group-Mary Beth Gentry, Director- [email protected]

Delta - Delta Center for Spiritual Living-658 Howard St., 81419. 970-874-3425-www.crsdelta.com

Denver - Center for Spiritual Living Denver-Mary Jo Honiotes, Sr. Min.-1420 Ogden St., 80218. 303-832-5206-www.csldenver.org

Denver - Mile Hi Church-Dr. Roger Teel, Sr. Min. –9077 W. Alameda Ave., Lakewood, 80226. 303-237-8851-www.milehichurch.org

Denver - Oasis Center for Spiritual Living-S. Tucker, Senior Min.-9940 E. Costilla Ave., Ste. B, Englewood, 80112 (SE of I-25 & Arapahoe Rd.)-303-662-1505-www.oasiscsl.org

Durango - Study Group, Four Corners Center for Spiritual Living-Karen Lovelien, Dir.- Durango Rec. Center, 27th & Main, Windom [email protected]

Fort Collins - Whole Life Church Spiritual Living-Cheryl Jensen, Min.- 2020 S. College Ave., Ste. C1, 80525. 970-224-1206- http://wholelife.csl.org

Frisco - Study Group-Lise Pellerin, RScP, Dir.- [email protected]

Granby - Sky-Hi Journey Study Group – Jennifer Mirczak,

Dir – 970-887-9439 – [email protected] Grand Junction - Two Rivers Center for Spiritual Living

- Sheryl Rogers, Min.- 3154 Lakeside Dr. #103, 81506. 970-201-0989 - www.TwoRiversSpiritual Center.org

Greeley - Creative Center for Spiritual Living – Barbara Bue, Min. - 1113 8th Ave., 80631 - 970-351-8122 www.CreativeCSL.org

Monument - The Village a Center for Spiritual Living Teaching Chapter – Rev. Edee Lunday, Min., Dir – 20150 Doewood Drive – 719-481-8624 – [email protected]

Salida - Salida Study Group, John-David Longwell, RScP, Dir.– PO Box 627, Poncha Springs, 81242. 720-341-1668 – [email protected]

ConnecticutHamden - Study Group-Rebecca Botkin, RScP, Dir.- 203-

[email protected]*Middletown – Connecticut Center for Spiritual Living

H. Patrick Pollard, Min. – 27 Washington St. 06457 – 860-391-5772 – [email protected]

DelawareRehoboth Beach - Study Group-Co-directors- Dorothy

Hand, 302-226-7776; Aimee Ganster, [email protected]

Wilmington - Pathways Center for Spiritual Living 302-367-3334- www.pathwaysspiritualcenter.org

District of ColumbiaBeacon of Light Study Group - Aimee Daniels, RScP, Dir.

Washington, DC. – 202-249-8065 – [email protected]

Washington-DC - Takoma New Thought Teaching Chapter - Rev. Alexandra Escudero, Min. - 7059 Blair Rd., NW, (around the corner from the Takoma Metro stop) Washington, DC 20012. 301-802-8076- http://DCnewThought.org

Washington, DC - Falls Church - Celebration Center for Spiritual Living - Rev. Trish Hall, Sr. Min. - 2840 Graham Rd., 22042. 703-560-2030 - www.celebrationcenter.org

FloridaAuburndale/Winter Haven - Science of Mind Center -

3742 K’ville Ave., Auburndale, 33823. 863-510-0300Boynton Beach - Boynton Beach Center for Spiritual

Living Teaching Chapter-Pamela A. Fill, RScP Dir.-517 SW 20th St., 33426. [email protected]

Bradenton -Center for Spiritual Living Manatee - 4200 32nd Street W., Bradenton, 34205. 941-756-0400 - www.mscsom.com

Daytona Beach - Center for Spiritual Living Daytona Beach - David Stork & Deborah Bevilacquz-Stork, RScPs -1301 Beville Rd., 32119. 386-672-6382 – www. csldaytona.org

Eustis - Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living and Holmes Institute-Cay Thompson, Min.-2130A Prevatt St., 32726. 352-589-2620-www.gtcsl.org

Hallandale Beach - Inner Light Center for Spiritual Living, Alma M. Stevens, Min.- Best Western Hotel (I-95 & Hallandale Beach Blvd.), Hallandale Beach, 33009. – 954-964-4271 – [email protected]

Jacksonville - Living Vision Teaching Chapter – Elaine Ginn RScP, Dir. – 800-248-1399 [email protected]

Jensen Beach - Study Group-Global Heart Spiritual Center-Celia Filla, RScP, Dir.- [email protected]

Ocala - Oak Brook Center for Spiritual Living - Peggy Hostetler, Min -1009 NE 28th Ave., 34470, 352-629-3897 –www.olec.org

Orlando - Center for Spiritual Living, Orlando - Brandy

70 Science of Mind


Edgerly-Chabrol, RScP, Spiritual Leader - 709 Edgewater Dr. (West U.S. Rt. 50 & Edgewater Dr.) 32804. 407-601-1169-www.Orlandoreligiousscience.com

Orlando - The Manna Group Teaching Chapter - Dympna Smith, RscP and Les Mower, RScP, co-directors - 709 Edgewater Dr. (West U.S. Rt. 50 & Edgewater Dr.), 32804. 407-230-4040 or 407-365-5846 - [email protected]

Pensacola - Spiritual Living Teaching Chapter of Pensacola- Carolyn & Jim Vary, RScPs, co-directors – 850-637-4488 – www.SpiritualLivingPensacola.blogspot.com

Rockledge - Center for Spiritual Living Space Coast, Ron Fox, Min., 835 Executive Lane, Suite 136, 32955321-338-2990 www.cslspacecoast.org

Sarasota - Teaching Chapter-Jerry Greig, RScP, Dir.- 941-266-4595 or 941-539-1396 – [email protected]

*Sarasota – Community Center for Spiritual LivingDr. Toni LaMotta, Min – 241 Whitfield Ave 34243941-330-9922 – www.communitycsl.org

Tallahassee - Study Group--Bret Oglesby--Unity Church, 2850 Unity [email protected]

Tampa – Center for Spiritual Living Tampa - Rev. Kathryn Knox, Min. - 4600 E. Busch Blvd., 33617 - 813-985-2428 - www.csltampa.org.

GeorgiaAtlanta - First Church of Religious Science – E. Wendy

Williams, Min. – 2054 Harobi Drive, Tucker 30084 – mailing address PO Box 53324, Atlanta, GA 30355. – 866-959-7779

*Roswell - Golden Heart Spiritual Communities, Inc Sandra Jackson, Min. – 4004 Village Lane, 30075. – 678-404-7050 – www.goldneheartspiritualcommunities.org

Savannah - Study Group-Janis Deverman [email protected]

Snellville - Teaching Chapter-Rev. Mary Louise Ruffner, Dir. –770-978-3977-www.stillpointspiritualcenter.com

Tifton - Study Group-Jane Campbell, Dir.-229- 382-0743 HawaiiKailua Kona - Aloha Center for Spiritual Living Teaching

Chapter – Elizabeth Root, RScP Dir, - 73-4080 Huliko Dr., 96740 – 808-331-2275 – www.alohacsl.org

IdahoBoise - Center for Spiritual Living Boise/Treasure

Valley - Rev. Jacqueline Holland Cragen, Sr. Min. - 10448 W. Garverdale Ct., Suite 608, 83704. 208-375-0751 www.spiritual-living.org

Boise – Powerhouse Study Group – Rev. Roya Camp, Dir. 208-343-1386 – [email protected]

Coeur d’Alene – Center for Spiritual Living NorthwestCarolyn Holland, Min. - [email protected]

Nampa - Study Group-Janet Somalinog, Dir.- 208-870-9065 – [email protected]

Sun Valley - Light on the Mountains-Rev. John Moreland, Min. –12446 Highway 75 at Gimlet View, 83353. 208 727-1631-www.lightonthemountains.com

IllinoisBelleville - Radiance Center for Spiritual Living-Annie P.

Clark, Min.- 626 N. 38th St., 62226. [email protected]

Chicago - Bodhi Spiritual Center-Mark Anthony Lord, Min.-2524 N. Lincoln Ave., Suite 218, 60614. 773-248-LOVE (5683) – www.bodhispiritualcenter.org.

Chicago - Power of Oneness Spiritual Center-Celeste A. Frazier, Sr. Min.- Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S.

Cornell Avenue 60637 - 773-962-9081 - www.powerofoneness.net

IndianaElkhart - Elkhart New Thought Spirituality/Science of Mind

Study Group – Michael Mirante, Dir. – 126 W. Lexington Ave – 46516-3161 – 574-226-0391 [email protected]

Evansville Evansville Study Group - Evansville Study Group – Carolyn Ferber, Dir. – 5676 Maple Lane, Newburgh, 47630. 812-430-2224 – [email protected]

Grovertown - Grovertown Study Group – Judith Kuhl, Dir. – 574-806-4789 - [email protected]

Jeffersonville - Louisville Center for Spiritual Living Carolyn Harvill, Min.- 222 W. Park Pl. 47130.812-288-1080 – www.lcslonline.org

IowaCarroll - Study Group-Myron and Shirley Johnson, Dirs.-

[email protected] Park - Study Group-Norris Hill, Dir.-816-924-

[email protected] - Wichita Teaching Center-Leta Miller, RScP, Dir.-

316-722-9617-miller.leta@gmail .comKentucky Lexington - Ahava Center for Spiritual Living-Soni Cantrell-

Smith, Min.-168 Burt Road, 40503.-859-797-7794-www.Ahavacenter.com

Louisville - Center for Spiritual Living-Carolyn Harvill, Min. – Office - 222 West Pk. Pl., Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – 812-288-1080 - www.lcslonline.org

LouisianaLafayette - Lafayette Study Group-Anisa M. Al-Jabi, Dir.-

[email protected] - Study Group-Angela Davis, Dir.-

[email protected] - The Maine Beacon Center for Spiritual

Living-Linda Holmes, Min.- One North Street, 04038. 207-222-2183-www.themainebeacon.org

Waterville - Study Group-Debra Wroble, Dir.-8 Boutelle Ave., Waterville, 04901. [email protected]

MarylandBaltimore - Spiritual Empowerment Center-Rev. Michelle

Synegal, Sr. Min.-2129 N. Charles St.-410-244-7321-www.spiritualempowermentcenter.org

MassachusettsBoston - Center for Spiritual Living Boston Teaching

Chapter – George Stewart, RScP, & Edwin Tanzi, RScP, Co-Dir. – 401-946-1694 – [email protected]

Cambridge Study Group - Cameo Brown, Dir – Cambridge, MA – 323-251-2289 – [email protected]

Springfield CSL Western Mass Study Group - Kristie Valenze, Dir – 51 West Alvord St. – 413-731-9857 – [email protected]

Wilbraham - Study Group-Joyful Living Spiritual Center-Jonathan Ball, Dir.- [email protected]

MichiganAnn Arbor - Points of Light Teaching Chapter – Erin Fry,

RScP, Dir. – 704 Airport Blvd. – 48108. 734-731-4858 [email protected]

Grand Blanc - Study Group-Gloria Phillips, Dir.- 10084 Shadybrook Lane-48439.

November 2011 71


[email protected] MinnesotaMinneapolis - Glenn E. Chaffin, Min.-525 Leaf St., Long

Lake, 55356. 952-473-0350-www.newthoughtcrs.org Minneapolis - Minneapolis Teaching Chapter-Sher McNeal,

Min.- [email protected]*Minneapolis - Our Spiritual Center-Nancy Herrick, Min.-

Banks Building, 615 First Ave., NE-612-388-8223-www.OurSpiritualCenter.com

St. Cloud - Living Truth Study Group – Kathy Anthony, RScP Dir. – 525 6th Ave. N. #3 – 56303 – 970-424-3006 [email protected]

MissouriReeds Spring - Reeds Spring Study Group – Keri King, Dir.

[email protected] – 417-827-1227Kansas City - Center for Spiritual Living-Rev. Chris

Michaels, Sr. Min.- 1014 West 39th St., 64111. 816-931-2395-www.cslkc.org

Kansas City/Overland Park - Study Group-Norris Hill, Dir.- 816-924-2857 or 913- 541-0601

St. Joseph - Source of Universal Learning Study Group – Ruth Young, Dir – 816-233-2169

St. Louis - Center for Spiritual Living-Marigene De Rusha, Min.- 12875 Fee Fee Rd., 63146. 314-576-6772 –www.cslstl.org

MontanaHamilton – Center for Spiritual Living Bitterroot Valley

Teaching Chapter – David Schultz RScP, Dir. - 406-375-9996 – [email protected]

NevadaCarson City - Center for Spiritual Living – Carson City-Gil

& Gail Linsley, Co-Mins.-1927 N. Carson St., 89701. 775-882-0901-www.cslcc.org

Las Vegas - Center for Spiritual Living, Greater Las Vegas-Doug Foglesong, Min.- 1420 E. Harmon Ave., 89119. 702-739-8200 - cslglv.org

Pahrump - Study Group-Teresa and Ernie Fuller, Dirs.- Haven Selah Retreat-1680 N. Blagg Rd., 89048. [email protected]

Reno - Center for Spiritual Living, Reno - Rev. Liesa Garcia, Min.- 4685 Lakeside Dr., 89509. - 775-826-0566 - www. cslreno.org

New HampshireMilford - Study Group-Alice Wheeler, Dir.- 603-673-1249-

[email protected] New JerseySouth Jersey - Teaching Chapter-Global Heart Spiritual

Center-Marie Strzykalski, M.Div, Min.- [email protected]

Trenton - Study Group-Ronald J. Franks, Dir.- 609-581-1436

New MexicoAlbuquerque - Albuquerque Center for Spiritual Living

Kylie Renner, Min. - 2801 Louisiana Blvd. NE, 87110. 505-881-4311- abqcsl.org

Albuquerque - High Desert Center for Spiritual Living-Jac Blackman, Sr. Min.- 5621 Paradise Blvd. NW, 87114. 505-922-1200 –www.hdcsl.org

Albuquerque - Rio Grande Center for Spiritual Living- Martha Quintana, Sr. Min.- Chapel at Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Blvd., NW, 87110- www.riograndecenterforspiritualliving.org

Taos - Study Group – Alicia Hanlen, RScP, Dir. – Arroyo Hondo, NM – 575-776-1336 – [email protected]

Belen - Center for Spiritual Living-Gale Stewart, Min.- 2295 C Highway 304, Rio Communities-505-861-5774-

www.belencenterforspiritualliving.comBernaillo - Teaching Chapter-Jennie Goff, Min.-505-888-

[email protected] Las Cruces - Center for Spiritual Living in the Heart of

Las Cruces-Mary Lowry, Sr. Min.- 575 N. Main St., 88001. 575-523-4847 - www.csllascruces.org

Las Cruces - Oasis in Las Cruces Teaching Chapter-Sandhi Scott, Min.- 920 N. Alameda St., 88005. 575-405-9597-www.oasisinlascruces.com

Ruidoso - Study Group-Nancy Bankston, Dir.-505-630-0531-www.ScienceofMindRuidosoNM.com

Santa Fe - Bernardo Monserrat, Min.-505 Camino de los Marquez, 87501-505-983-5022-www.santafecsl.org

*Santa Fe - Everyday Center for Spiritual Living – GayleDillon, Sr. Min. – Santa Fe Woman’s Club, 1616 Old Pecos Trail, 87505. 505-629-9633 – www.everydaycsl.org

New York Caroga Lake - The Circle for Spiritual Living Teaching

Chapter-Linda Betz, RScP Dir.- [email protected]

Charlton (Capital Region)- New Thought New York Center for Spiritual Living Teaching Chapter-Rev. Joanne McFadden, Dir.- 518-423-3569www.newthoughtnewyork.org

New York - New York City Study Group-John Griffith and Romulo Villalba Dirs.- [email protected] and [email protected]

Poughkeepsie - Poughkeepsie Study Group – Barbara Williams-Brown, Dir. – [email protected] 845-392-2909

Rochester - Religious Science of Rochester Study Group-Joanne Siebert, Dir.-585-247-6386- [email protected].

Rochester - Greater Rochester United Center for Spiritual Living – Teaching Chapter-Wanda Strother, RScP, Dir - 460 State St., Ste. 407, 14608. 585-482-9238-www.cslrochesterny.wetpaint.com

North CarolinaAsheville - Center for Spiritual Living, Asheville-Rev.

Barbara & Dr. John Waterhouse, Co-Mins.- Two Science of Mind Way, 28806-1444. 828-253-2325 – www.cfcl.org

Graham - Center for Spiritual Living-Rev. Sandra Lee Swift, Spiritual Leader-309 S. Maple St., 27253. 336-227-7930-www.cslgraham.org

Raleigh - Raleigh Center for Spiritual Living – Denise Schubert, Min. – 4900 Waters Edge Drive, Suite 120, 27606 – 919-859-2249 – www.clsraleigh.com

Sylva - Open Door Center for Spiritual Living Teaching Chapter - Barbara Jefferys, RScP, Dir.- [email protected]

Winston Salem - Center for Spiritual Living Winston SalemStudy Group – Earlene Reavies, Lynn MacMartin, Joe Kost – Co-Directors – 336-608-6562 [email protected]

North DakotaGrand Forks - Study Group-Robert Howard Dir.-701-330-

0785-arkayhoward@yahoo .comOhioAkron/Fairlawn - Summit Spiritual Center Teaching

Chapter-Michael Mangus, RScP Dir.-2858 W. Market St., Suite L, 44333. 330-777-0250 www.summitspiritualcenter.org

Cincinnati - Center for Spiritual Living of Greater Cincinnati Linda Ketchum, Min. – 5701 Murray Ave., 45227. – 513-218-2128- www.cslgc.org

72 Science of Mind

spiritual communities spiritual communitiesCleveland - Miracle Church of Religious Science/Center for

Spiritual Living-Leora Nash & June Clark Co-Mins.-11713 Buckeye Rd., 44120. 216-991-0015-www.mcorscleveland.org

Columbus - Columbus Center for Spiritual Living-Molly Cameron,Min.- Northwest Masonic Lodge, 2436 W. Dublin-Granville Rd. (Hwy. 161)-614-216-0340 –www.Spiritual LivingColumbus.org

Dayton - Center for Spiritual Living Greater Dayton-Rev. CC Coltrain, Min.- 4100 Benfield Drive., 45429. 937-298-1376-www.godexpressing.org

Parma - Open Heart Study Group - Steve Smith RScP Dir. – 10233 S. Lake Blvd. Apt N-23 – 562-295-8370 – [email protected]

Toledo - Toledo Teaching Chapter-Claudia Tambur, RScP, Dir.-419-309-0493 - [email protected]

OklahomaOklahoma City – Inner Journey Center for Spiritual Living

Teaching Chapter – Suellen Miller, Min. – 2629 W. I44 Service Road, 73112 – 404-330-4116 – [email protected]

Oklahoma City - Lifeworks Center for Spirited Living, Teaching Chapter-Patty Rumpza, Min.- [email protected]

Oklahoma City - United Life Church-Shelley Heller, Sr. Min.- 3332 N. Meridian, 73112. 405-946-6753-www.unitedlife.org

Tulsa - Center for Spiritual Living- 2545 S. Yale Ave., 74114. 918-743-4577-www.tulsacsl.org

OregonGleneden Beach - Spread Love SOM Study Group

Robert Lee, RScP Dir. – [email protected] 907-230-5070

Grants Pass - Grants Pass Center for Spiritual Living-Michelle Ingalls, Min.-466 SW “I” St., 97526. 541-479-0007 –www.grantspasscsl.org

Lake Oswego - New Thought Center for Spiritual Living-David Alexander Min.- 1040 C Ave., Lake Oswego, OR 97304 - 503-296-9922 –www.newthoughtcsl.org

Medford - Center for Spiritual Living Medford-- Rev. Joy-Anne Fournier-- 1119 Ellen Ave., 97501. 541-734-8581 www.cslmedford.org.

Portland - Center for Spiritual Living-Larry King, Min.- 6211 NE M. L. King Jr. Blvd., 97211. 503-261-0677 – www.pcsl.us

Rainer -Study Group-Tami Tack, Dir. - 503-556-9862 - [email protected]

PennsylvaniaElkins Park - The Center of Peace - 1750 Ashbourne Rd

(Elkins Park Estate - Unity Hall), 19027 - 215-782-8271 www.TheCenterOfPeace.Org

Pittsburgh - Center for Spiritual Living-Rev. Nancy Kandel, Spiritual Leader-5655 Bryant St., 15206. 412-362-5096-www.oneintruth.org.

Williamsport - Study Group-Lisa Shorter, [email protected]

Rhode IslandWarwick - Concordia Center for Spiritual Living - Rev. Ian

Taylor, Min.- 401-732-1552-http://concordia.csl.orgSouth DakotaCuster - Study Group-Jil J. Bradeen, Dir.- 605-440-0650-

[email protected]. Pierre - Ft. Pierre Study Group – Celeste Warner Dir. –

508-904-0437 – [email protected] Hot Springs - Study Group-Melody Inchumuk, RScP Dir.-

Brookside, 201 S. River St.-605-745-4543

TexasAustin - Austin Center for Spiritual Living – Rev. Dr.

Richard Imprescia, Min. – 5555 North Lamar Blvd., Suites D-115 & D-117, 78751-1073. 512-244-2100 www.austincsl.org

Bandera - Study Group-Debby Gibson, Dir.- [email protected]

Brownwood - Spiritual Living Study Group-James Smith, Dir- for meeting times and location please call – 325-9986131 or [email protected]

Dallas - Center for Spiritual Living-Petra Weldes, Min.-4801 Spring Valley Rd., Ste 115, International Place Suites 112 & 115,75244. 972-866-9988-www.csldallas.org

Dallas - Dallas Study Group – Sharon Martinez, Dir. – 2718 Overcrest St., 75211. [email protected]

Dallas/Irving - Celebration of Life Center for Spiritual Living – Lari Goold, Sr. Min. -1646 W. Irving Blvd., 75061. 972-253-0089 - www.col-csl.org.

El Paso - Oasis Teaching Chapter-Sandhi Scott, Min., 7362 Remcon Circle, 79912. 575-405-9597-www.oasisinlascruces.com

Frisco/Plano - Agape Center for Spiritual Living – Lee Wolak, Min. – Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Center, San Jacinto Ballroom, 7120 Dallas Parkway. 75024 – 972-317-6650 – www.visitagapenow.com

Houston - Science of Mind Study Group Houston – Barbara Baldwin, RScP Dir – 13722 Senca Park Drive – 713-598-6660 – [email protected]

Houston/Spring - Creative Life Spiritual Center-Dr. Jesse Jennings, Sr. Min.-5326 Spring-Stuebner Road, Spring, 77389. 281-350-5157-www.creativelife.org

Midland - Center for Spiritual Living – Jerry Fetterly, Min. – 2311 Elizabeth St. 79701. 432-684-4230 - http://midland.csl.org

Houston/Nassau Bay - Center for Spiritual Living Clear Lake Teaching Chapter - Patty Rumpza, Min. – 18022B Upper Bay Road, Nassau Bay, 77058. - 832-922-7738 – www.cslcl.org

San Antonio - San Antonio Center for Spiritual Living - Dr. Cindy Flor, Min.- 3740 Colony Dr., Lower Level, Ste.#100, 78230. 210-342-7897-www.sacenterforspiritualliving.org

Utah*Draper – Oneness Center for Spiritual Living - Nicole

Merges – Min – 801-910-9206 – [email protected] St George - Center for Spiritual Living, St. George

Teaching Chapter – Josephine De Los Santos, RScP, Dir. – 435-574-2181 – [email protected]

Salt Lake City - Center of Spiritual Living - 1111 E. Brickyard Rd. #202, Salt Lake City, 84106. 801-307-0481- www.spirituallyfree.org.

VermontRutland - Study Group-Margaret Gilman, Dir.-

[email protected] - Montpelier Study Group – Robin Cornell

Dir. – 28 E. State St. Ste 4 – 802-223-3427 – [email protected]

Williston - Study Group-Susan I. Morton, Dir.-Unity Church of Vermont, 56 Main St., Essex [email protected]

VirginiaFalls Church - Celebration Center of Spiritual Living - Rev.

Trish Hall, Sr. Min. - 2840 Graham Rd., 22042. 703-560-2030 - www.celebrationcenter.org

*Hampton Roads - Center for Spiritual Living HamptonRoads- Ruth Littlejohn, Min.- Virginia Beach, VA 23462. 410-715-6751 – www. Hamptonroads.csl.org

Stafford - Stafford Study Group-Rev. Faith Woods Dir.-

November 2011 73

spiritual communities spiritual communities 540-720-8902 [email protected]

Sterling - Study Group-Connee Chandler, Dir.- 703-406-3427-sterlingstudygroup.org

WashingtonBurien - Genesis Global Spiritual Center – Charles Hall,

Min. - 233 South 156th Street, 98148 - (206) 941-3614 – www.genesis-global.org.

Kirkland - Center for Spiritual Living Eastside- Rev. Suzi Schadle, Sr. Min.- 407 First St., 98033- 425-941-9717. www.csle.org

Clarkston - Center for Spiritual Living, Lewis Clark Valley - David Robinson, Min. - 2707 27th St – 99403 509-758-3031

Greater Puget Sound/Shoreline - Spiritual Care Institute, Teaching Chapter-Rev. Rev LynneA Jardine - 206-801-7297 - www.spiritualcareinstitute.org

Mount Vernon - Center for Spiritual Living Mt. Vernon Jessie Rees, Sr. Minister - 1508 N. 18th Street - 98273 360-355-9029 - www.cslmountvernon.com

Olympia - Center for Spiritual Living – Rev. Elizabeth “Libby” O’Day, Sr. Min. – Nova School, 2020 22nd Ave. SE. 360-570-2112 – www.csaolympia.com

Seattle - Center for Spiritual Living-Kathianne Lewis, Sr. Min.-5801 Sand Point Way N.E., 98105. 206-527-8801-www.SpiritualLiving.org

*Seattle - Amazing Grace Spiritual Center– Sue Oliver, Min 206-402-2633 – www.amazinggracespiritualcenter.org

Tacoma - Center for Spiritual Living-Frances Lorenz, Min.- 206 N. “J” St., 98403-253-383-3151-www.tacomacsl.com

Tukwila - Northern Lights Spiritual Center-Pamela Beatty, Sr. Min.- Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave. S, 98168. 206-200-3064 –www.northernlightsspiritualcenter.com

West VirginiaBeckley – Chrysalis Study Group – Jacqueline Dawkins, Dir. –

304-252-1827 – [email protected] Madison - Madison CSL Teaching Chapter - Rev. Cindy

Hopfensperger Min., Dir.- [email protected]

Wyoming AlpineStudy Group ( summer only) - Ron Reeves, Dir.-

[email protected]

InternationalNorth AmericaCanadaBritish ColumbiaVancouver - Centre for Spiritual Living Vancouver-Rev.

Mary Murray Shelton, Min. - 1880 Triumph St., Suite #8 Vancouver, BC V5L 1K3. 604-321-1225 - www.cslvancouver.com

Vancouver - Center for Spiritual Living Lower Mainland, BC Teaching Chapter – Rev. Sophia Ducey, Min. – 937 Wavertree Rd., BC, V7R 1S4 – 619-994-5024 - www.csl-lowermainland.org

Nova ScotiaEast LaHave and Halifax - Study Group-Patricia

A. Watson, RScP, Dir.- 902-766-4511 (E.LaHave) or 902-422-9395 (Halifax.) Mail- 4764 Highway 332, East LaHave, NS B4V [email protected]

OntarioOshaway - Oshawa Study Group-Olga Tilk Dir.-

905-728-7284

CaribbeanPuerto RicoViegues - Ciencia de la Mente Teaching Chapter – Ogla

Silva, RScP Dir – Viegues, Puerto Rico – 787-435-1518 – [email protected] America

West IndiesTrinidad - Study Group--Irwin K. Merritt, Dir.-Mail- 45

Allamanda Ave., Malabar, Arima, Trinidad, West IndiesMexicoJalisco - Ciencia de la Mente Ajijic, Rev. Tim Schubert

Email: [email protected] Dir: Nicolás Bravo # 17 Ajijic, Tel: 376-766-09-20

Monterrey - Ciencia de la Mente Monterrey, Rev. Alida y José SosaEmail: [email protected] Web: www.cmmty.com Dir: Calle José Alfredo Jiménez #135, Colonia Lomas del Roble San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, C.P.66450 Tel: 52(81)8376-75-49

Distrito Federal (DF)- Ciencia de la Mente México CSL del Valle Rev. Dra. Rebeka Piña Email: [email protected] Web: www.cienciadelamente.org Dir: Heriberto Frías # 925-A, Col. Del Valle CP 03100, México DF Tel: (52) 555-682-6761 & (52) 555-682-8965

Distrito Federal (DF) - Ciencia de la Mente México CSL Providencia “Study Group” Tere Ángeles, RSc.P, Email: [email protected] Web: www.cienciadelamente.org Dir: Volcán Tuxtla Mz-13 L-21 Col. Ampliación Providencia, México DF Tel. (52) 555-711-53-44

Distrito Federal (DF) - Ciencia de la Mente México Study Group “Polanco” Gabriela Camacho RSc.P Email: [email protected] Web: www.cienciadelamente.org Tel: (52) 5552-55-26-57

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco – Centro de Docencia CorazonEspiritual – Mary Jacobs, Dir – Casa Olas Del Mar Unit #2 Panama 110 – 619-249-9404 –[email protected]

Tijuana - Corazón Global CSLJanice Deaton, RSc.P Email: [email protected] Web: www.corazonglobal.org Dir: Av. Ensenada 2370, 2do. Piso Col. Cacho, C.P. 2204, Tijuana, Baja California, México Tel: 011-664-215-5908

Costa RicaCobano - Study Group-Maggie Hill, [email protected] Puerto Viejo de Talamanca - Study Group - Nanci Wright

Stevens & Barry Stevens Co-Dir.—Pozo De AYA, Playa Negra., Puerto Viejo De Talamanca., Costa Rica. Phone: 011-506-2750-0524—[email protected]

San Juanillo - Study Group-Cy Rinkel, RScP, Dir. Phone: [email protected]

South AmericaArgentinaBuenos Aires - Study Group-Ana Fumarco, Dir.-Ciencia

De La Mente-Castillo 549 14 “C” 1414 Buenos Aires-Teléfono (5411) [email protected] & [email protected] www.cienciadelamente.com.ar

ColombiaBogota - Study Group-Peter Montana, Dir.- 408-705-2128-

[email protected]

74 Science of Mind


PERÚLima - Co-Crear, Centro Para el Desarrollo Espiritual y el

Crecimiento Personal Isabel Aragonés RSc.P Email: [email protected] [email protected] Web: www.cienciadelamenteperu.com

Lima - Entheos, Centro De Crecimiento Y Vida Espiritual Beatriz Del Pino RSc.P Email: [email protected] [email protected] Web: www.entheoscm.org Dir: Jr. S. Bolívar N° 521 - San Miguel

Lima - Alquimia, Centro De Conocimiento Y Desarrollo Integral Gladys González Vigil RSc.PEmail: [email protected] Web: www.alquimia.pe (511) 302-8205

Miraflores - Crisol Centro de Desarrollo de la Conciencia Teaching Chapter – Maria de la Cruz Diez-Canseco – 51 1 9933 75853 – [email protected]

EuropeBelgiumVilvoorde - Arlette Clauwers-Healing Center Europe,

F.Campoinlei 5, B-1800. Phone: [email protected]

EnglandBournemouth - Anya Slatter, Min.-Mail- 73 Brabourne

Ave., Ferndown, Bournemouth, BH22 9EH. Phone: 044-1202-896-195-www.scienceofminduk.org

Gosport - Hampshire – Spirit Us Study Group – Juliet Vorster, Dir. – 203 Avery Lane PO12 4SW – 44-7738 262 598 – [email protected]

Kings Langley/Hertsfordshire - Study Group-David & Linda Serlin, Dirs.- Phone: [email protected]

Leicester - SOM East Midlands Leicester Teaching Chapter – Erica Brown RScP Dir – PH 0017, 14 Deacon St. LE2 - 7EF– 0-44-116-271-9724 – [email protected]

Lincolnshire - Study Group-Marjorie Dalby, Dir.- Phone: 04-01473-599750- [email protected]

London - Teaching Chapter-Neil A. Mence, RScP Dir.- Phone: 44-077-9297-1324 (evenings)- www.scienceofmindlondon.net

Manchester - Lorraine Shaw, Dir.- Phone: 07913-091206 – mizshaw@ gmail.com

Sheffield - Study Group-Neil Robert Maycock, Dir.-Meets on-line anytime. http//[email protected]: 44-0797-6402349

FranceNear Menton and Monte Carlo - Study Group-R.

Petit-Bon, Director-BP 9, 06190 Roquebrune Cap Martin-Phone: (33) 4 93 57 60 [email protected]

GermanySchmitten - Study Group-Rosemarie Schneider, Dir.-CSA

Europe e. V., Centrum für Selbst Aktivierung, Limesstraße 16, 61389 Schmitten-Oberreifenberg

NorwayOslo - Study Group-Gregory Coyle, RScP Dir.- email:

[email protected] - phone: + 47 40294836 - www.scienceofmind.no

RussiaBalakhna - Balakhna Study Group – The Way to Yourself

Maria Lapshina, RScP, and Vladimir Ivanov RScP, Co-Dir. [email protected]

Izhevsk - main center of Science of Mind in Russia - Fund Positive Thinking, Rev. Gala Emelyanova, PO Box 1977, 426000. Phone: 7-3412-434773,

[email protected]@rambler.ru Kazan Teaching Chapter Self Mastery - Guzal Sadykova,

RScP – [email protected] Moscow – Moscow Study Group Inspiration – Valya Zholud, RScP – Dir .- [email protected]

Nizhney Novgorod - Nizhney Novgorod Teaching Chapter Fund Positive Thinking in Nizhney Novgorod – Irina Babushkina RScP. – Dir. – [email protected]

Sochi - Socii Teaching Chapter Creative Living – Rev. Alexander Tensin, Dir. – [email protected]

Votkinsk - Votkinsk Teaching Chapter Spiritual Psychology Olga Busygina, RScP – Dir. – [email protected]

SwitzerlandFounex - Geneva Center for Peace Teaching Chapter

- Beth Linguri, Dir. - Chemin du Pralet 19A, CH-1297 - 41-22-7766932 - [email protected]

UkraineCherkasy - TEMENOS- SOM Center for Self-Realization-

Barbara Leger, Dir.-Gargarina 35, #27, Cherasky, Ukraine,18000. Phone: [email protected]

AfricaNigeriaOmouku Rivers State - S. A. Iiavbarhe, Dir.-#41 Ichoku

St., Box 198 Abia StateAba - Study Group - Okoro Kalu Ogbonanya, Dir.-260 A

Faulks Rd., Ariaria. Mail- P.O. Box 3512Aba - Study Group-Prince C. E. Ihemeson, Dir.-Science of

Mind Center, 15 Amazu Ave., by 72 Umuechem Rd., Mail- P.O. Box 1661, Aba-Abia State

Akwa Ibom StateEkpe Atai - Study Group-O.R. Nyaha, Dir.-Okoro Atai Odot

P.O. Ekpe Atai L.G. areaUyo - United Church of Religious Science of Nigeria-Udo

Otuk Owo, Min.-107 Oron Rd. Mail: P.O. Box 736-(085) 201-988

Uyo - Study Group- Barrister Clement S.J. Otton, Dir.-Room 10, Academic Block, University of Uyo. Mail: Council Affairs, P.M.B 1017

Uyo - John E. Ekanem, Dir.-No. 4 Nung Ebene Rd, Ikot Idaha, Ibiono, Off Itam Junction

Anambra StateAguata - Bishop D.E. Enemuo-Ndikelionwa Town. Mail:

P.O. Box 877Imo StateImo State - Mary U. Egwilem, Dir.-Umubo-Onicha,

Ezinihitte MbaiseEast AfricaKenya - South Gucha Study Group-Mr. Oyagi Evans,

Dir.-P.O. Box 51, Nyamarambe (40206) South Gucha, Kenya - East [email protected]

EgyptCairo - Study Group-Suzette Swanson, RScP, Dir.- Phone:

02-012-028-8770-Swanson suzette@ yahoo.comSouth AfricaBromhof/Johannesburg South Africa - SOM Capetown

Study Group – Gerd Pontow, RScP [email protected] – 27114769766

Johannesburg - Teaching Chapter-Gerd Pontow, Dir.-Mail: P. O. Box 1248 , Bromhof 2154, South Africa. Phone: 27-11-476-9766 or [email protected]

West AfricaSierra Leone - Study Group-Philip M. Conteh, S.Y. Soriba,

November 2011 75

spiritual communities spiritual communities Co-Dirs.- Mail: P.O. Box 63, Moyamba

Middle EastDubai United Arab EmiratesDeira - Dubai Study Group – Jeffery Wiengand RScP – Dir.

011-971-503-415140 – [email protected] - Study Group-Brenda Ferriera, Dir.- Phone: 0818-

05-344-309Australia & New ZealandGold CoastMudgeeraba – New Thought UCSL Center – Dr. Barry

Pierce, Director Gatherings & Classes. New Thought Center, PO Box 1508, Mudgeeraba 4213, Qld, Australia. (61) 422-220-499. www.newthought.com.au

BrisbaneBrisbane - Study Group – Barbara Kitto, Director – Call

or email for information. [email protected](61) 7-3369-7987

Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039 - Angelos Spiritual Study Group - Helen Paige, Dir - 24 Canterbury Street – 0439- 710 -740 – [email protected]

SydneySydney - Study Group – Dr. Laurie Levine, Director. (61)

410-499-602. www.positivelivingspiritualcentre.comWest PerthPerth - Study group - Joan Stam, Director. Meets 10:30am

2nd & 4th Wed. each month. (61) 8-9349-2172 or (61) 419-140-731. [email protected]

New ZealandChristchurch - Study Group – Beverly Lundell, Director.

170 B High St., Christchurch, 8011, New Zealand. 643-365-2352 – [email protected]

Special Focus Ministries CaliforniaBerkeley - The Launching Pad – Linda Reppond, Min,

2649 Russell Street, 94705. 206-409-2440 - www.launchingpadberkeley.com

Huntington Beach - Expect Good Inc. – Rev. Barbara-White Steinberg – 5731 McFadden Ste. B, 92649. 714-362-4252 – www.expectgood.com

Long Beach - Living Beyond Limits – Jennifer Spear, Min. 562-420-7370 – [email protected]

Long Beach - The Revealing Center – Sunshine Daye,Min. – 1524 East Hellman St., 90813. – 562-712-5683 www.therevealingcenter.com

Los Angeles - Children’s Ministry of the Global Heart Rev. Nancy Zala – 12911 Goshen Ave. #305, 90049. 424-248-0000 – [email protected]

Mill Valley - Center for Richer Living – Rev. Katherine Q. Revoir – 212 Leverne Ave., 94941. 415-381-9161 – [email protected]

Ojai - Singing Earth Retreats – Rev. Marilyn Miller – 131 Don Felipe Way, 93023. 805-386-2694 – www.marilynmiller.org

Sacramento – The Sacred Arts Center - Dr. FranCione, Min – 1001 Del Paso Blvd 95815 – 916-200-9824 – www.sacredartscenter.org

Santa Monica - GO Soular, Inc. Global Outreach- Soaring On Unconditional Love and Radiance – Rev. Jill Gwen Braginets – 1745 Wellesley Drive, 90405. 310-369-4579 www.gosoular.org

Studio City - Creative Heart Center – Gena Gilcrease, Min. 818-509-2643 – [email protected]

ColoradoEnglewood - Global Outreach Ministries – Rev. Barbara

Rush – 2130 E. Grande Ave., 80113. 720-971-2835 – [email protected]

Englewood - Spiritual Living Center for Education & Training – Paula Belleggie, Min. – 31175 Ottawa Trail, 80439. – 720-270-9151 – [email protected]

Evergreen - Spiritual Living Center for Education & TrainingPaula Belleggie, Min. – 31175 Ottawa Trail, 80439.720-270-9151 – [email protected]

IllinoisTroy - Spirit Connection – Rev. Cindy Middendorf – 522

Troy O’Fallon Road, 62294. 618-667-1601 – [email protected]

KansasLeawood - The S.O.U.L. Project – Rev. Julie Klinghoffer

– 3713 W. 121st St., 66209. 913-706-7655 – [email protected]

MissouriSt. Louis - Global Center for Contemporary Spiritual

Music & Arts – Rev. Roy Fisher – 578 Sarah Lane Suite 208, 63141. 314-660-0092 or 636-577-5000 – www.csaministries.org

New JerseyMt. Laurel - On Higher Ground-Prison Chaplaincy

Program – Rev. Marie Strzykalski – P.O. Box 303, 08054. 609-868-2372 – [email protected]

OklahomaYukon - International Brothers and Sisters of Choice – Rev.

Nancy and Rev. Bud Morris – 11612 Footmans Ct., 73099. 405-373-3617 – [email protected]

OregonMolalla - Ministry for Ministry – Rev. Katherine Neville

Smith – P.O. Box 500 PMB 127, 97038. 503-829-4149 – [email protected]

UTAHSalt Lake City – Aha! Education – Rev. Gloria Diamond

Conley & Rev. Nicole Merges – PO Box 712271 -84171 – 435-649-4389 – [email protected] – [email protected]

VirginiaArlington - Visionbuilders Institute – Rev. Margaret

Shepherd – 4201 Wilson Blvd. #110-246, 22203. 866-820-6604 – www.visionbuildersinstitute.com

Sterling - Evensong West Ministries – Rev. Hilary Taylor, Min. - 571 278 4617 - www.evensongwest.org

WashingtonBellingham - Heart Path Retreats – Rev. Colleen &

Rev. Bob MacGilchrist – 414 Boulevard Unit 201, 96226. 360-756-1160 – [email protected]

Bellevue - HeartReach International – Rev. Sherry Brandt,Min. – 660 156th Ave NE, 98007. 206-356-8034 – www.heartreachintl.org

Olympia – Center for Spiritual Awakening – 3701 Pacific Ave SE, PBM:327 – 360-570-2112 – [email protected]

Seattle - One Vibration radio Ministries – Rev. Annette Lake – 206-595-9985 – [email protected]

Seattle - Spirit of Man – Brian Eckfeldt, Min - 2222 NE 92nd St. #414 98115 – 206-355-5226 - [email protected]

Tacoma - Sparks of the Divine - Rev. Sue Oliver, Min.- 2522 N. Proctor, #501, 98406. 206-914-9724 - [email protected]

New ZealandWaihi Beach- Sacred Space Ministries – Rev. Pamela

Kilbourne – 26 Jenkinson St., 2980. Phone: 64-7-863-1383 – [email protected]

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spiritual principle

November 2011 77

When I think of the theme for this month’s Science of Mind magazine, “Opening to Spirit,” I am struck by the simple blast of power found in this phrase. This theme is a recognition of the meaning of this quiet, almost unobtrusive little sentence spoken by Ernest Holmes: “It is the [Universe’s] nature to impart, ours to receive.” Let’s think for a moment about what this sentence reveals! God is the universal giver, and we are the universal receivers. Humans have a nature; earth has a nature; and apparently God does, too, and Its nature is to give, a “giving-ness” that we can observe. There is no equivocation about this, no waffling. There is no suggestion or demand that we have to believe in a certain way or follow certain behaviors. There is no claim that some are more favored than others, no well-received saints or disdained sinners, only the God that keeps on giving.

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Holmes wisely reminds us that we cannot know why God moves by such means, but we can discover the way God moves by paying attention to how the mind works. This is part of the science in Science of Mind. We may not be able to touch the beginnings of things, but by empirical observation, we can see outcomes. There are at least two ways in which we can know what we know. We can and do receive direct, intuitive “hits” in mind—we know, but we do not know how or why we know—or we can do what any spiritual scientist does: We can think empirically, which is to exper-iment, observe, and deduce. In this second way, we uncover the action of the Law of Mind.

Mental/spiritual law is not a concept found only in Science of Mind. It is a principle that has been discovered and rediscov-ered by great thinkers through-out the ages. Human beings have wanted to know God and feel close to deity for ages, and one of the means of closeness to God shows up when we discover that the Divine Mind responds directly to our thoughts. Hence, beautiful, axiomatic statements begin to appear, such as: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,” or “As ye believe, so shall ye receive.” If we are paying attention, we will discover that

our lives are about what we expect them to be, with not much amazement one way or the other. There is, however, no reason to remain in unre-markable living if we have better things to experience, and it is this longing that I believe draws us to spiritual studies. I think that two major things bring us to spiritual exploration. Sometimes, it is the deep desire to feel a great con-nection to God; at other times, it is an equally deep desire to live a better life, with the need for healing at some level causing us to seek that first openness to Good.

What Does It Mean to Be Open to Good?Even though we may physical-ly act upon our desires and in-tentions, we should remember that all things first begin as an idea in the mind. We are run by ideas, some of them enlight-ened, some actually depraved. Whatever our adherences may be to organized religious/spiritual systems, at the end of the day, we are acting according to our own private beliefs. Every one of us entertains thoughts and opinions, even the youngest child, whether he knows this or not. These gather together to become attitudes, and eventu-ally attitudes harden into habits. Most of the time, unless we

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become active “think tanks,” we are responding from what I like to call our “default” positions—the starting places informed by our habits. This is not nec-essarily a problem because, after all, who wants to have to relearn everything anew every day? Problems only really occur when our established habits of thoughts become so narrow and stubborn that we do not venture outside them. Then the idea of openness to Good becomes a real challenge, for such openness needs a supple, pliant mind that is willing to receive new ideas from the Infinite Mind. Sounds strange, doesn’t it—possibly being resistant to the very Source that could provide the only salvation we will ever need: the rescue from our own ignorance!

The Open MindWe might think it silly to wonder about being open to Good, but established mindsets can easily keep our minds closed. When Jesus rebuked the disciples for keeping little children from him, he reminded them that the kingdom of God is made up of such children. I have always taken this saying as a clear challenge that we are to maintain as open and receptive a mindset as children do. Children are not looking over their shoulders

trying to protect what’s behind them. They run out into the sunshine and breezes to see what the day holds for them.

There are decided risks in cultivating an open mind, for it may mean we’ll have to get rid of some notions that are taking up too much mind space. Recently, I watched an excellent Nova pro-duction on public television that dealt with a search for the edges of the universe, which is truly uncharted country. Many sci-entists were commenting on the use of super-telescopes, some of which were even more modern instruments than the Hubble. In the course of years of theorizing, it now appears that once again some theories are falling short. Instead of the slowing down and possible contraction of the universe, as formerly believed, scientists have discovered that, at its farthest edges, it is not only not slowing down, but is expanding and doing so at a more rapid rate than ever. Heady stuff, I thought, but what was even more intriguing to me was the glee with which the con-tributing scientists introduced this new information, almost as if they were glad they were incorrect! This can only mean that they will have to go back to the drawing board, so to speak, and begin new calcula-tions. Later, a friend of mind

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told me that this upsetting of apple carts of supposed, settled knowledge is standard fare for scientists. As I mused over this, I could not help but wonder if we as spiritual scientists would be so willing to be unsettled by new awarenesses and new ways of looking at things. If we believe that God always has more for us, would we really be interested in discovering what this “more” might be?

The More Open Mind I guess we might now ask, what more lies ahead for us and how willing am I to be so curious? Ernest Holmes gave us a clue when he wrote, “There is something within us all which constantly pushes us forward, which demands continued progress.” If this is so, then even a mild curiosity will keep us wondering about the largeness of our own lives; but to truly want to know and experience more of the Infinite that thrusts Itself forward, we will need to be adventurers, not minding the steps outside our private known. In Northern California during the late winter, a set of sea con-ditions form off the Pacific coast that can offer world-class surfing opportunities. During this time, surfers hold themselves in readiness wherever they are, and when the word goes out that the waves

are right, they hurry in to catch them. Here in this area, we call these waves “Mavericks.” They are forming and presenting as they will.

In our own ways, we, too, are mavericks—at hand to catch the gifts of the Spirit as they present to us. For our own purposes, there are certain things we may have to give up if we are to freely receive. I think it is fair to say that we will need to give up our fears around handling new and strange awarenesses and resis-tance to change. A wise person once asked, “If I give up what I know about myself, who will I be?” I think this is the kind of question that Rev. Rob Bell, pastor of the seven-thousand-member Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, must have asked himself. An Evangelical minister, Pastor Bell recently wrote a book entitled Love Wins, which questioned some of his most deeply held beliefs, such as the need for hell, sin, salvation, and judgment. Not surprisingly, his actions have created another set of huge waves in his part of the spiritual world!

There is a delight and danger in opening to Spirit, for we may be transformed and never able to be quite the way we were before. Such life-changing possibilities will require us to surrender to

whatever God has to reveal, for it seems to me that the surrender of willfulness is intimately involved in openness. But let us think of what lies ahead for us in openness to Spirit: God’s wonderful surprises, most certainly. Ernest Holmes puts it this way when he simply says, “When you are free from the negation of emotional conflict, the mind becomes a clear, pure channel through which God’s Wisdom flows, and there is created for you the good you desire.” In our openness lies the invitation to Good. The footsteps toward it are ours.

Dr. Margaret Stortz

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Written at the end of his life, this book distills the

power of Ernest Holmes’s teaching.

A clear, simple, practical application of the Science

of Mind principles.

Put principle into practice on your path to

enlightenment.

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spiritual oneness

November 2011 83

Lindsay Wagner will tell you that opening to Spirit not only quieted her mind but also opened her heart. Her spiritual journey began at age nineteen when she experienced a serious case of ulcers and had her gall bladder removed. Wagner’s mom and friends were no strangers to Religious Science. Through the guidance of Dr. Bill Hornaday, Wagner’s journey of recovery included visualization, prayer treatments, a health-conscious diet, and awareness of her thoughts. Within six weeks, she was fully recovered and so began a long and amazing journey of spirituality, prayer, and treatment.

Wagner recalls, “It was at this early age that I began to realize how limited we hold ourselves and the Divine in our beliefs. The healing journey I began at nineteen continues to this very day. What restricts our healing and moving to wholeness are our limited beliefs about God, others, and self.” We all remember Lindsay Wagner as the famous Bionic Woman who had superhuman strength and capacity. “I discovered that the source of this superhuman strength is none other than the Divine.” Wagner’s passion has spurred a move toward wholeness and led her to empower others to do the same.

These days, Lindsay Wagner is not found on television screens, but rather working to help others screen their belief systems. She discovered, “Many mentors and teachers show up in your life just when you need them and offer you the perfect tools to move into your greater expression. I have learned through these mentors that I must breathe into whatever is happening in my life. Don’t resist

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it or store it; rather, lean into the situations of your life.” I asked Lindsay how she made the transition from an acting career into the world of spiritu-ality and workshop/retreat work. She responded by saying, “The study and sharing of holistic health, the integration of body, mind, and Spirit to awaken our amazing human potential and heal the body, has always been my greatest passion, whether it be throughout my career or my personal life. My workshops and retreats have developed out of my own experience and many years of studying both Western and Eastern modalities.”

Through her workshop, Quiet the Mind and Open the Heart, and her meditation CD, Open to Oneness, Wagner is a mentor for others and teaches emotional freedom techniques to make us more present in the moment. She also became involved in the Oneness Blessing movement. The Oneness Blessing is a spiritual organi-zation, founded by Sri Amma Bhagavan, which seeks to alleviate human suffering at its roots by awakening humanity into Oneness, wherein every in-dividual feels connected to all that is. The central understand-ing of Oneness is one of inner transformation and awakening into higher states of conscious-

ness—not an outcome of a mere intellectual understanding, but a neurobiological process in the brain whereby one’s experience of life is redefined at its core. This is achieved by Oneness Deeksha, which is a transfer of divine grace that initiates a journey into higher states of conscious-ness. The Deeksha is believed to affect the different lobes of the physical brain, thereby reducing stress levels and intensifying the levels of love, joy, and awareness. Millions across the globe testify to the calming and awakening effects of the Oneness Deeksha, which is now gaining recog-nition as the easiest and most effective approach to enriching human consciousness. Wagner stays connected to the Oneness Blessing movement and it influ-ences much of her work.

Through the Oneness Blessing training, Wagner let go of a great deal of emotional baggage. She felt freedom and flow in her life, as well as a sense of Oneness. Wagner also continues to perform the Oneness Blessing for herself and for others. She also sees the need for others to do the release work. That was one of the reasons that she became a Oneness Blessing trainer.

Wagner creates workshops where the release work really begins for participants. She feels, “Aspirations we all have in

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common such as peace of mind, better relationships, health, peak performance, and creativity can more readily be achieved by looking at them from a different and more holistic point of view.” Her workshops and retreats are about making a shift in perspec-tive, and what a powerful effect such a shift can have on our lives.

The programs are very ex-perience-oriented and include many activities that address and nurture body, mind, and spirit. In a safe and loving environ-ment, participants have the op-portunity to recognize thoughts and old wounds that cause more pain than the actual circum-stance. Often, participants have repressed these thoughts and they are not aware of the impact they have.

From Wagner’s workshop, people learn relaxation tech-niques and EP (energy psy-chology) or EFT (emotional freedom techniques)—simple but very effective methods for dealing with their own personal challenges. Energy psychology is far and away one of the most effective counseling treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, phobias, addictions, and many other mental health problems. Compared with tra-ditional psychological treatment such as psychoanalysis and be-havioral approaches, energy psy-

chology is much quicker and often painless. When both tra-ditional and alternative treat-ments are combined, the results are amazing.

Wagner stated, “Energy psy-chology is the tapping of your own acupuncture points [with your fingers] in a particu-lar pattern to release stress, negative emotions, and unwanted responses. These techniques can be used easily at home or just about anywhere.”

The workshops and programs include quiet time, beautiful music, and a Oneness Medita-tion. The Oneness Meditation facilitates an opening to expe-rience our inherent connection to the whole of creation and the peace and power that result.

Wagner knows that the workshops can be the catalyst to breaking through undesirable patterns that affect our family dynamics, intimate relations, friendships, work, and yes, even our golf games.

During her workshop, Quiet the Mind and Open the Heart, participants continuously asked how they could take the ex-perience home. That inspired Wagner to create a CD that invites one to relax, unwind, and go on a moving meditation journey to peace of mind and inner healing. By listening to the CD, one can experience the

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beautiful, relaxing meditation music and the magical, peaceful instrumental sounds of the piano, guitar, flute, and nature that create a stress-free sanctuary in which to quiet the mind, shift negative thoughts and limited perspectives, and bring about a more profound sense of causeless peace, joy, and oneness.

In the track “Crystal Cathedral,” Wagner’s gentle, soothing voice calls to each person’s extraordinary human potential. This unique medita-tion CD is appropriate for both the novice and the more ex-perienced meditator. There’s nothing the listener needs to do except lie back, eyes closed, and enjoy this thirty-minute

relaxing meditation. Through Wagner’s voice, the blessing could be performed anywhere, anytime. With a background of beautiful, relaxing meditation music, the listener experienc-es the invocation of Oneness, an opening to our inherent con-nection to the whole of creation, peace, and potential, and the joy of being alive.

“Making the meditation music CD was like being in the eye of the storm. It was created in just five weeks from start to finish,” recalled Wagner. The composer and the producer worked “crazy” hours to have the CD ready in time for Wagner’s United Kingdom tour this past spring. They were grateful for accomplishing what they set out to do and are very proud of the end result, but, as Wagner laughs, she “wouldn’t recommend it or ever want to do it that way again!”

The composer of Wagner’s powerful CD is Jeremiah Jacob, a music producer in Sacramen-to, California. His work has been featured in narrative and documentary films, and also nationally syndicated radio. Some of his credits include American Yearbook, Do As I Say, and Conversations with the Dalai Lama. The team of people even meditated together by phone during the creation process.

Lindsay Wagner

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They had to work quickly to develop a common language of reference, and Jacob feels Wagner’s vast experience helped enormously with this process.

Each track of the CD was constructed to take the listener on a journey into a deep state of relaxation, followed by a gradual awakening. Wagner says, “I felt so much love for everyone and wanted every person that may ever hear this to experience Oneness, causeless peace, joy, creativity, health, uncondition-al love, and gratitude. Medita-tion is opening to the vitality of the life force that comes when you can get your mind to quiet down.”

Wagner’s CD has been well received by a variety of audiences. She states, “I am amazed how powerful this CD has become and who is being touched by it. It’s even being used by veterans who are affected by memories of war. It brings them peace. It’s a powerful tool whether you know anything about the Oneness Blessing or not.”

Wagner feels that humanity is in a very powerful time es-pecially with the approach of 2012. “This past year has already moved the planet to a new energetic level. The effect of where and what we are being called to will occur in 2012. The old paradigms

are collapsing and a new Oneness and interconnected-ness is dawning. Now more than ever, we must wake up to our greatness and step into the Oneness that we already are.”

Lastly, I asked Wagner what she would like to say to the Science of Mind magazine community. “First and foremost, thank you for the teachings of Religious Science. They have transformed my life in so many ways. I also want you to know that you are so much more amazing than any preconceived notion you may have of yourself. My prayer is that you allow yourself enough freedom to let that realization come to you. Also, summon the courage not to identify with who you think you are, but rather tap into the experience of magnitude of who you really are. It is a constant evolution that all of us are called to.”

Lindsay Wagner is busy on the planet creating Oneness and calling people to dig deeper into the magnificence of who they truly are. She invites us to be open to Oneness and to quiet the mind, and as a result, it will open the mind. Like Lindsay Wagner, we, too, can tap into a bionic power that flows in our hearts and minds. This super-human strength is available to all of us; it is called the Divine showing up as us.

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spiritual inspiration

November 2011 89

One of the oddest quirks that we discover in human nature is to find someone desiring to be radiantly well, gloriously happy, abundantly supplied, well loved, and fully expressed, and yet avoiding any use of the word “spiritual” and shunning any possible thought that he may desire to be known as spiritual. The fact that he is anxious to secure a material fortune, but cannot bring himself to connect it with anything spiritual may be a holdover from the old belief that to desire the good things of life, while not exactly sinful, was yet an unworthy ideal. Many wince at the mention of God in connection with supply, as if such a thought were blasphemous.

By spirituality, we mean a constructive atmosphere of goodness, truth, beauty, harmony, and reality. Such an atmosphere comes in such degree as one comes to believe, to understand, and to make use of the invisible Presence, the invisible Intelligence, which is what we mean when we speak of the Spirit or God. To be spiri-tually minded is to be whole-minded. To be whole-minded is to

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be holy. It means that we realize the complete unity of God and His creation. If we, therefore, demand from ourselves, freely, openly, and emphatically, a spiritual reaction to success, it means that we understand the complete unity and close rela-tionship of all life and can the more fully express prosperity and success.

What do we mean by “success”? A life that is complete. This does not necessarily mean the acquisition of a million dollars. A man might be a mil-lionaire and at the same time a dismal failure. Equally, a man might have a very few dollars and be a rich man because he would be satisfied, happy, complete. Success means that which is necessary to maintain a balance, an equilibrium. Sub-jectively, it is an environment that reflects this inner state of consciousness.

A successful man will be at peace, and because he is at peace, he will be happy; and because he is happy, he will be surrounded by happy circum-stance. He will have a sufficient consciousness of substance that his environment will reflect a degree of supply sufficient to enable him to have those things which make for a fuller life, whether we call it much or little. A successful man will

have such a consciousness of the unity of good that this con-sciousness will find its objective correspondence in friendship, in love, in human interest.

The word “poverty” usually conveys to our minds the idea of a money shortage, but actually the word means the lack of any good thing. Poverty is the very antithesis of abundance, and abundance of good is necessary to human happiness. It is only as we experience good that God is expressed through us. The more completely we realize good—in all of its manifold expressions of health, wealth, and happiness—the more completely do we express God; that is, the more does God become personified through us.

There is nothing in the Universe that limits us, or that would or could desire to limit us. The idea that God is trying our souls to see whether or not we can take it, so to speak, is nonsense; it is born in ignorance, in superstition, in the night-time of the soul, and has nothing to do with spiritual re-alization. There is no power in the Universe that tries or tempts us but our own ignorance. The Universe withholds nothing from us because in withholding, It would withhold from Itself, and we are some part of Its purpose. Therefore, not only is there

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nothing in the Universe that limits or restrains us, but the Spirit even seeks, urges, pushes against us to fulfill Itself. We should get a clear understand-ing of this, for a man is already defeated if he approaches life with the morbid idea that there is some power ready to deny him or to inflict punishment upon him.

Every normal individual feels that there is Something in the Universe which, if he could get hold of It, would straighten him out. This insistent and universal desire for self-expression, which every man feels, is proof that there is Something that wants us to be successful. Further-more, we could not experience such an urge if its fulfillment did not already exist for us in Divine Mind.

It is apparent that man has had the accumulative instinct from the beginning of his history, and Jesus did not denounce this acquisitive faculty, if we use it in connection with the universal Law: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…and all these things shall be added unto you.” Within this universal Law is included the law of increase, the law of giving and receiving. There is in man an inherent faculty which lays hold of what is its own, and every needed thing will be “added” if we

follow the law of righteous ac-cumulation. We should banish forever the idea that man must be poor to be righteous.

If we believe that God cannot know poverty or any kind of lack, that opulence itself should be manifesting freely in our lives, what steps shall we take to bring abundance into the lives of those who are now experi-encing poverty? How shall we make two trees grow where one grew before?

To begin with, we are never seeing poverty, but the repre-sentation of an idea of lack, a symbol of lack which has taken hold of our consciousness. Poverty itself is not a Divine Reality since God cannot know it, and, therefore, it can be changed. Both prosperity and poverty are states of mind. If we desire to erase the thought of poverty, we must go back to the thought of prosperity, an affir-mation of the allness of Good, the source of which is God. We are confronted with the revealing truth that poverty is lack of knowledge of God. If we had a complete realization of the allness of Good and our oneness with God, we would automati-cally express abundance.

All that is in the Universe is with us, nothing is against us. Each one of us has access immediately, in our own

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consciousness, to that absolute, unconditioned Presence which molds and makes things out of Itself by Itself directly becoming the thing It makes. The good which we desire passes out of It, as though it came from the very hand of God, which it does.

But even God cannot give us anything unless we are in a mental condition to receive the gift. The Law cannot do anything for us unless It can do it through us. We live in the midst of eternal good, but it can only be to us what we believe it to be. We stand at the mouth of the river, but we must let down our own bucket if we wish it filled with the pure waters of Reality. It is not enough that this spiritual Substance is ev-erywhere around us and in us. There were thousands in the crowd through which Jesus passed, yet only one woman—she who touched the hem of his garment—received healing. The woman was eager for the blessing and believed she would receive it. Unless we conscious-ly open our minds and recognize our oneness with omnipresent Substance, we shall appropri-ate none of It. The knowledge that God wants us to live fully; the certainty that there is no force to keep our good from us; the assurance that abundance is ours for the asking, will avail

us nothing unless we use that knowledge.

Those who deny the possi-bility of Divine guidance have not thought the matter through to its final conclusion. The Universe would be incomplete if man were not expressed. That Principle which so lavishly dis-tributes the heavenly bodies, peopling the infinite reaches of space with personifications of Itself, must have both the intelli-gence and the ability to provide for man’s needs. How can we deny ourselves the privilege of Its personal attention? Some will say that such an infinite Presence cannot be personal. Here again this attitude of mind has not contemplated the full measure of Reality. The Spirit personifies in and through ev-erything—the rose, the blade of grass, the mineral, animal, and human kingdoms. Each and all are specific demonstra-tions of the ability and desire of universal Mind to find concrete expression.

It is a mistake to suppose that some things are spiritual while others are material, and that a sharp line can be drawn between Spirit and matter. There is no variation in the spiritual Principle which underlies and governs all expression. Matter is Spirit in form; conditions, Spirit in many forms. The best

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business methods evolved for the handling of affairs are the ones nearest Truth. All legit-imate business, constructive-ly handled, is in accord with Truth. The Spirit expresses Itself in everything, since God is All-in-All, and there is no dividing line between form and substance. While we know that our business is an activity of the Spirit working through us, we shall be viewing our business in the right light.

In everyone, there is a unique possibility, ready to take the stamp of his individuality, and anyone who has not yet dis-covered his particular niche in the scheme of things should work more for direction and guidance than for the demon-stration of prosperity. He robs no man who takes his place in the rightful scheme of creation, and, fulfilling his own destiny, becomes a beacon light that others, seeing his light, may find the way again. To believe in competition is altogether false and untrue. There is plenty to go around, with an abundance left over. As Emerson said, “Men suffer all their life long, under the foolish superstition that they can be cheated. But it is as impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself, as for a thing to be and not to be at the same time.” When

the mental gate which is now obstructing the flow of Spirit through the uniqueness of our individuality is lifted, there will be an outpush which nothing can resist. Every man should be willing and happy to be himself, remembering that “imitation is suicide.”

Ideas come from infinite Mind through what we call the human mind. But ideas can only come to the mind that expects them and opens its doors of thought so they can enter and pass through into expression. A man, before he can be truly successful, must be spiritual-minded, without longing to die and go to heaven. In other words, he must begin to con-sciously experience spirituality while in the flesh. It is asking a lot of ourselves, but not one-half of what the Universe intends for us. Nothing will be lacking in our world when we recognize our spiritual inheritance. “He that hath a bountiful eye, shall be blessed….” We fulfill the law of increase by seeing with the bountiful eye.

Excerpted from It’s Up to You by Ernest Holmes, published by Tarcher/Penguin.

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Once again, I am struck by the modern relevance and applicable value of Ernest Holmes’s words. This month’s article comes from our founder’s 1936 work It’s Up to You, in which he outlines how to move from a life of limitations and “No!” to a life of success and “Yes!” Holmes understood desires—we all want to be happy, well, and abundant, and to contribute to a better world. Holmes understood that this could not be achieved without opening up to the spiritual nature both of the universe and within each individual. Yet the era in which Holmes worked seemed to be driven by a desire to seek material and worldly success without a spiritual component as part of the process. The “religious life” failed to integrate and facilitate a deeper understanding of universal intelligence that lies back of all things. In this context, Holmes joins other early pioneers and adds his unique voice to the rising human urge to be “spiritual but not religious.” This term is used today to identify over 100 million people worldwide and over 72 percent of the millen-nial generation (ages 18 to 29).

More than just giving voice to the urge, Holmes gives us a path for our own fulfillment. Step 1: Recognize that there is an unlimited, creative intel-ligence all around you that seeks to fulfill itself as the activity of all life. Step 2: Great as this spiritual power may be, we each must be open and receptive to its creative process moving in, through, and as us. Step 3: We are not in this life journey alone. This spiritual power will guide us to every good thing if we are open to it—“Seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened.”

These three simple steps may be practiced by the religious and nonreligious alike and by members of every denomination. There is no prerequisite one needs, just a simple willingness to open one’s mind to the infinite possibilities. The support of the universe is immediately available. As Holmes stated, “It’s Up to You.” Travel well.

philosophy in actionfrom no to yes

David Alexander

David Alexander is the commu-nity spiritual leader of New Thought Center for Spiritual Living in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

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The pace of a harried life can take on a more frenetic pace, and it may be all too easy to allow the world to squash your desire to give deep thanks and be present for the gratitude. You can interrupt the frenzy and be a force for balance by taking a stand for your peace of mind, body, and spirit. Your being is blessed with its own reset button that you can push whenever you desire to get off the stress express and go slow in the flow of greater relaxation. This button for ahhhh is the autonomic nervous system and, in particular, the parasympathetic side, which powers your mind-body to disengage from too much stress, tame the flames, and bring calm to you whenever you need it. How do you engage this process? Breathing deeply with your belly and engaging your diaphragm, doing visualiza-tions, reciting affirmations, praying, walking, busting out a yoga move, and meditation are all ways to hit the relaxation button and become one again with the One that you are.

The best, most effective way to use this “power on/off switch” is to use it before you really need it. Activate this process throughout the day by centering in on peace. Set aside at least one minute every hour to stop doing and simply give all your focus to breathing from your belly. Every time you cross a threshold or enter a new room, you can say an affir-mation to yourself silently such as “I am peace; I am love; I am whole.” Go ahead and say it out loud and let everyone around you catch your vibration. You are sure to leave them speechless when you exit.

When you enter your day with prayer and you practice relaxation throughout the day, you are happier and more powerful. You will have less anxiety and more confidence, vitality, and well-being, including lower blood pressure, better sleep, and more likely a longer life.

We are here to shine. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are asked to dim your light, turn up your love light even brighter. Hold the presence, circulate calm and kindness, and be peace on earth.

revealing healthlighting it up

Dr. James Rouse is a naturopathic physician with extensive cre-dentials in the wellness field, including post-doctorate work in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, transpersonal psychology, and certifica-tion as a yoga teacher.

James Rouse

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do we really reap what we sow?law of circulation

Living in the Southern California desert, we re-seed our lawns and golf courses every October and await the lush, green turf to surface. As I watched the old, brittle summer grass being removed, I wondered…after handfuls of the tiny brown seeds are tossed onto the soil, do they really reap more of the same or does something else happen? Simply put, we don’t reap only what we sow, but more. We always reap something that grows from those tiny brown seeds and manifests in different form as well as more seeds to invest in the next planting.

This idea of circulation is used on farms across the world. A good farmer always takes a portion of the harvest and allows it to return back to seed for use again next season. This practice demonstrates for us how to give a portion of our abundance back to our sources of spiritual strength and still enjoy the new experience brought forth by the original seed.

In Freedom From Stress, our founder Dr. Ernest Holmes said, “The Divine intends us to have abundance, but abundance must be accepted and used.” Perhaps the investment of the crops for use as seeds represents an understanding that the farmer is also ready to reap a larger harvest the next season.

Paul also said, “The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountiful-ly will also reap bountifully. So let every man give ac-cordingly to what he has decided in his mind, not grudgingly or of necessity” (2 Cor. 9:6). He goes on to say, “That you may be enriched in everything, in all liberality; for such generosity enables us to perfect thanksgiving to God” (2 Cor. 9:11).

The same can be said for generously supporting the Centers for Spiritual Living and the Science of Mind Foundation. It’s about reinvesting and planting “seed money”—knowing it will multiply and change lives in so many wonderful ways. Join me in sharing our gifts with our organization. It’s a gift that will reap so many wonderful benefits for so many.

Joe Hooper

Rev. Joe Hooper is the spiritual leader of the Center for Spiri-tual Living in Palm Desert, California.

do we really reap what we sow?

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I understand the point of giving thanks, but wonder why I should be grateful for something good that didn’t happen—like something I wanted, but didn’t get. This seems like settling for less.The generally accepted value of giving thanks for something received is to show courtesy to whomever gave it. It’s a nice thing to do. It may also stimulate further gifts. This is thought to apply even when thanking God: God appreciates the gesture and won’t forget it. However (and see the question below), this is predicated on the idea that God is a humanlike entity, such as a parent or a monarch. In the Science of Mind teaching, we have an entirely different take on gratitude, and for that matter on giving and receiving. Our gratitude is decidedly proactive.

We propose the existence of a universal law that, in human terms, comes down to it being done to us as we believe. That is, belief is the action preceding any reaction. The reaction of the material world conforms to the belief we generate. So, if we cultivate a belief in perpetual gratitude, the forms and conditions sur-rounding us tend to bear that out. Even better, we’re not as attached to whether the forms look this way or that, because we’re just generally grateful for all of it. That would be settling for less if less is what we get, but instead we find more: more peace of mind, more contentment, and a clearer space for ingenious ex-pression.

Whatever it is that you desire, try to uncover the feeling beneath it. If you had more friends, time, energy, money, or creative outlets, how would you feel? When was a time you felt that way? Can you recapture it, not just in memory, but in your body, as a visceral sense of satisfaction? When you catch a thread of that feeling, follow it and spend time every day recalling it and just being in it. Whether gradually or instantly, the desire to know will supplant the com-pulsion to have: true freedom!

questions and answersthe way it works

Jesse Jennings

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If God is all there is, where do suffering and misery come in?In one form or another, this is the most frequently asked question about the Science of Mind teaching. If we did not refer to God, but to Infinite Mind or Universal Source Energy, less confusion might follow, since God is considered by many to be an in-comprehensively enormous personality. As a child, I learned that Father God watched over me, cared for me, wished that I would do the right thing, and was deserving of my reverent worship. Thus I thought of God as a parent, far more wise and powerful than the ones I had. This made it all the more difficult to encounter the presence of suffering and misery, personal or global. Had God stopped watching or sided with one person or group over another?

To grasp God as being all there is, we must broaden our definition of deity beyond that of a parent, or the champion of any tribal or religious agenda. The universe is one whole system, within which are fields of choice that generate consequences. The interpreta-tion of consequences shapes further choice-fields and then more consequences, ad infinitum. Within each choice-field, there are the individual minds choosing their interior dialogue and perception and yielding to the choices previously made by other persons. This yielding can be thought of as “choosing by not choosing.” The default consciousness of humankind contains a spectrum of beliefs and motivations en-compassing everything from the monstrous to the saintly. Self-awareness moves an individual up the evolutionary scale of consciousness from selfish and hurtful to generous and compassionate thought and behavior. Comprised of individuals evolving in self-awareness, whole civilizations may grow from brutal to benevolent, but over long periods of time (as well as by fits and starts). In our spiritual work, we reach out to suffering with practical help at the same time as we affirm a universal intelligence, order, and meaning, revealing itself in human conditions.

questions and answers

Jesse Jennings is senior min-ister of the Creative Life Spiritual Center in Houston. E-mail questions to [email protected]. Regretfully, he cannot per-sonally reply to all e-mail. For immediate prayer sup-port, please contact World Ministry of Prayer at unitedcenters-forspiritualliv-ing.org.

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The Way of the Happy WomanSara Avant StoverSoftcover $15.95New World Library

Calling all nurturing women! Are you ready to delete old messages that say taking care of yourself is selfish? Want to learn how to align with nature’s rhythms and cycles? Then you might want to

check out Sara Avant Stover’s book, The Way of the Happy Woman. At age twenty-one, Stover was diagnosed with an advanced

precursor to cervical cancer—Stage III. She was the picture of health as a vegan who practiced yoga, but she was also a perfec-tionist who knew her wake-up call had arrived. Synchronistically led to Thailand, she was guided to people and tools that not only healed her precancerous cervix, but also the anxiety, ovarian cysts, exercise addiction, anorexia, and bulimia she experienced. “What I discovered through my healing process…is just how simple it is to be happy, healthy, and whole as a woman and just how hard it can be to return to this essential truth amid the mixed messages and complexities of our modern world.”

Stover shares how she learned to align her natural cycles with each of nature’s seasons through wholesome recipes, included in the book along with shopping lists, illustrated yoga positions, meditations including ancient and modern rituals for those so inclined, and re-flections with pertinent questions and suggestions for brainstorming.

The book is divided into five key parts. Part 1 teaches the basics, core principles, and foundational practices. Part 2 begins with Spring, educating the reader in discovering what she wants to birth as well as the steps needed to bring it forth. Part 3 continues with Summer where the reader learns to connect to her sensual and sexual selves as well as how to play and celebrate life. Part 4 describes Autumn as the season to surrender and let go amid life’s changes, suggesting ways to quiet anxieties and deepen self-confidence. In Part 5, the reader learns how to slow down during the holidays to avoid depletion and depression and strengthen intuition and visions.

As Stover says, “You can embody this new way of being for the rest of your life and share it with others through being who you are and doing what you do.”Frances Mary Frane

media review

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God Is Not a Christian, Nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu...God Dwells with Us, in Us, Around Us, as UsBishop Carlton PearsonPaperback $15.00Atria Books

When I first saw the title of this rather amazing book, I had the feeling I was not going to be dis-

appointed with its contents. I was not. Bishop Pearson, formerly the minister of a large church—of some five thousand members—in Tulsa, Oklahoma, dramatically renounced its narrow tenets, one of which was that non-Christians were headed for hell. “Live in fear of the devil,” he writes, “and you live in fear of life itself—you live in fear of God and of yourself.” This sort of thinking caused him to be declared a heretic and lose his congregation.

Pearson’s book takes the reader from one surprising comment to another. For example, “Christ is not a Christian” is a statement that initially shocks, yet one cannot help but recognize its truth. Although this book is a testimony of Pearson’s rebellion, it is not a vindictive one. He loves his religion; it is those whom he feels have diminished it with narrow interpretations of scripture and fear tactics that offend him. “Christ has gotten lost in the mix of doctrinal elitism and exclusionary dogma,” he writes. He also quotes, with evident affection, Gandhi’s famous statement, “I may have become a Christian if it were not for Christianity.”

It should be emphasized that although Bishop Pearson is a rebel against the narrow strictures of the fundamentalist values of his former church, he is solidly Christian. Does he believe in the second coming of Christ? Yes, but not in its orthodox interpreta-tion. “The Second Coming,” he writes, “is an expanded conscious-ness of Christ realized through self-actualization and recognition of your personal calling and cause.”

This “expanded consciousness” is also what best describes the author himself. His growing awareness that he could no longer accept the narrow beliefs of his church forced a decision to leave it. He was soon to call himself a “recovering fundamentalist” and find acceptance in more liberal, New Thought churches. This is a stim-ulating book written by a man of great courage and conviction.Cliff Johnson

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SuperCooperators: Altruism, Evolution, and Why We Need Each Other to SucceedMartin Nowak with Roger HighfieldHardcover $27.00Free Press

Good writing is a delight, particularly when it transforms sophisticated and complex material into accessible and fun reading. This is the case

with SuperCooperators. The book discusses high-level analyses in mathematics and biology, but reads like a series of adventure stories. Each story reveals a part of Martin Nowak’s investigation into the role that cooperation plays in evolution.

Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution and survival of the fittest are well known. Nowak, however, believes that survival of the fittest, taken alone, does not fully explain how evolution has occurred, and he demonstrates that cooperation is an equally important factor. Through years of rigorous biological studies and experiments, math-ematical theory, application, and modeling, along with collabora-tion with many other brilliant minds, he has effectively developed a compelling argument that can be summarized as Natural selection + Natural cooperation = Evolutionary success.

Nowak utilizes a classic problem called the Prisoner’s Dilemma as a base to test for successful evolutionary strategies from the simplest of life forms to the highly complex societies in which we now live. He notes that there are five mechanisms of cooperation and that we are the only species that can and does draw on all of them.

In the final chapter, Nowak echoes Ernest Holmes in saying that perhaps the conclusions of science and mathematics can be seen to intersect with the teachings of world religions. He further suggests that such spiritual teachings as the Golden Rule, which appears in all spiritual traditions, may be not only a worthy and honored spiritual exhortation, but also a critically important guide for human inter-action if our species is going to survive. Finally, Nowak observes that today, we face global issues that require global cooperation and suggests that this might be the next great evolutionary step for our species.Joe Grindon

media review

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September 2011 107

Karyl Huntley$12.95 · paperback266 pages

Patty Luckenbach$12.95 · paper 126 pages

Petra Weldes & Christian Sørensen$16.95 · paperback392 pages

Ernest Holmes &Raymond Charles Barker$16.95 · paperback372 pages

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The Journey of AwakeningFor years, I have walked up what seems like an endless mountain, constantly creating my own burdens and traveling in and out of spiritual awakening after spiritual awakening. What was I missing? The journey traveled to our highest truth and greatest good takes more than being inspired, awakened, or enlightened in that instant; it involves embracing and opening to Spirit every moment. I never learned how to live every moment as if it was a new glorious morning filled with great expectation and infinite possibilities. Instead, my fears and doubts about God’s love and faithfulness toward me held me captive in my own mind, only allowing me to gain initial insight, but never permitting me to open fully to God’s gracious and giving spirit.

One day, I was so overcome with grief. “Why am I in the same place spiritually?” I cried. I was med-itating as well as reading and listening to spiritual commentary. What I later learned was that spiritual knowledge yields little growth if you never open fully to its source, which is Spirit. Ultimately, the image of God that my fears and doubts created had to encounter the light of truth. This transition of releasing the old and welcoming the new was and still is an everyday cognitive and spiritual process.

Opening to Spirit is more than a state of mind; it is a state of being. For it is in Spirit that we live, move, and have our being; therefore, opening to Spirit is never-ending. In living or breathing, may we be cognizant that we are connected to the Spirit that is gracious and giving. In moving or doing, may we release to the world all that is gracious and giving. In being, may we be the essence of all that is gracious and giving. Now I awaken with great expectation, embracing each present moment with a smile, waiting to see how God’s Spirit shall reveal itself on my behalf and the behalf of others. How grateful I am to have let go and opened to Spirit.

your space

Teneka G. MilesPooler, Georgia

opening to Spirit

opening to Spirityour space

It’s Always SummerComing back to life after a long and painful time, I knew that I needed a new and better way to keep in touch with Spirit at a moment’s notice. I felt strongly that a visual image would be the answer and Spirit agreed as within minutes, while reading a book, I came across this quote from Albert Camus: “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

My mind flooded with images—laughing children running through sprinklers, lush gardens, warm breezes, fruit bursting with juicy sweetness—ev-erything summer means to us, life at its ripest. In those thoughts, I realized that Spirit is the invincible summer within each of us. No matter the winter of our discontent, Spirit is our bright summer day, any time and place. Everything actual summer brings into our lives, Spirit brings into our hearts and minds 365 days a year. That part of us that is invincible is Spirit. That part of us that heals the pain of our internal winter is Spirit.

No matter what the weather outside or inside of us, with Spirit, it’s always summer. This knowing has changed the way I live my life and taken my relation-ship with Spirit to a deeper, more joyful place.

To join the Your Space Community, e-mail your submis-sions to [email protected]. Include a title, your name, and the town and state where you reside. Submissions will not be returned. Submissions not chosen for publication in the magazine may be published on our website at scienceof-mind.com.

Issue Topic DeadlineApril 2012 Restoring Balance December 1, 2011May 2012 Service to the One January 1, 2012June 2012 Waves of Change February 1, 2012

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Linda ColeSanta Fe, New Mexico

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To view limitation is to impress it upon the mind....It is not always easy to turn from fear, from poverty and pain, and from the hurt of human existence, to that which is perfect. But whoever can do this…will be like the man healed of blindness. Ernest Holmes

When we see the positive opportunity in every situation, we will always be victorious. By perceiving any situation as impossible, this becomes our experi-ence because we have closed the door to infinite pos-sibilities. By developing spiritual perception, we will perceive everything and everyone as the presence of the Divine everywhere.

Each of us is creative, as this is part of our godlike, intrinsic nature. No one can stop this creative power of manifestation, but we can direct this power by remembering our divine nature as pure Spirit and thus already perfect regardless of what is happening around us. You are always superior to the outer world of inert matter like an artist is always superior to the sculpture he has crafted. What helps is to seek the gems in every situation instead of focusing on the petty. It’s like going to a yard sale and picking through the items. We will find what we are seeking. We could focus on what is ugly, cheap, and broken and be discouraged and depressed, or we can find value and opportunity in the broken pieces and make a thing of beauty from them.

Instead of falling into despair over anything, raise your mind and thinking to the level of trusting that all is well and that, regardless of outer appearances, you are perfect even if you have been harboring limiting, impoverished thoughts. The outer objective world is always reflecting the inner subjective world. Instead of endeavoring to make the outer world change to suit your concepts of what will make you happy and prosperous, all you need to do is place your focus on perfect Spirit and make your inner world a beautiful, opulent, and happy garden.

success and spiritseek the gems

Dr. Terry Cole-Whittakerreceived herReligiousScienceordinationin 1975 and was honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2009.

Terry Cole-Whittaker

~

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Marketplace

last word

112 Science of Mind

The Sun Dance ceremony is one of the seven sacred ceremo-nies of the Lakota Sioux. It originally was a twelve-day ceremony beginning with four days of purification, using the inipi ceremony, the sweat lodge. Then, one danced one’s prayers for four days. During the four days afterwards, the participants remained in the sacred energy of the dance.

In a beautiful ceremony, a cottonwood tree is harvested and brought into the center of the large, sacred circle, representing the tree of life that has given its life so that humanity can live. This special tree has been prayed with all year and now serves as the altar for the dance.

Attached to a rope, the Sun Dancer dances forward from and back to the Sun Dance tree four times. Native Americans believe that the most precious gift the Creator has given humans in this physical world is the physical body, and the Sun Dance celebrates both the gift and the body. Mind and spirit are honored as well, and heavy mental and emotional energies are released followed by spiritual revealing and healing.

The Sun Dance is a time to declare a heart intention for the year. Uncle Albert White Hat states, “Take from Sun Dance your prayers and live them all year through.” The Sun Dance is the experience of being connected with the sacred and to the one mind and one heart. There is a rededication to walking a good walk as spiritual warriors for peace. Its true universal spirituality radiates a message that we are all related, holy, and one with life.

Dr. Patty LuckenbachDr. Patty, a religious science minister, has been adopted by the White Lance and Little Elk families of the Rose Bud Sioux, South Dakota. Her given Indian name is Cante Waste Wiyyan, meaning Good-Hearted Women. She has been participating in the Sun Dance ceremony for fifteen years and every day she celebrates within her heart the powerful spirituality of the Indian Nations.

Sun Dance—Dancing Your Prayers

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